T E INSPIRING SEQUEL TO THE INTERNATIONA~

BESTSELLER WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR

WITH A NEW AFTERWORD AND EVISIONS BY l HE AUTHOR

An H J Knm e:r Bouk

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Copyright C 1991, 1004 by nan Millman
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.
.
p.l.Wges III ~ revlcw.
Editor: Nancy Grimley C:ulcton
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'Iat DesiS" and Typography: Cathey flickin!;cr
Cover lI1umation: Terry Lamb
Library orCongrc u taloging-in-PubliclIion Data
Millman, Dan.
S:lcn:tl journcry' of the: pt'lIccful wa rrior I Daci r..l illrnan.
p. cm.
&qud to: Way of the pe:lce:ful w:mior.
IS8N 1-!n107J-lo-8 (pbk.: alk. p~pcr)
I. Spiritual life. 2. MilIm~n, Dan. I. litle.
BL614.MS 1991
191.4'4 dno
9t-II1304
CII'
Revised edition First priming. May 1004
ISBN 1-9)107)-10-8
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Preface
..
.
... """ ... """ ...... IX
Prologue: A Suggestion from Socratcs ...............xi
""
"
Book One: Where Spirit Leods
J
1
Out of the Frying Pan ........ " ... ...... "" ....... " ...]
The ]ourncy...... , ...... "",.,." .. , .. ,.... ,,, ............. 11
Fool's Gold, .. """" ""'''',,' '"',,"',, .... ,,,'" ..... ,,18
A Fire at Sra, .... ,.. " .... """""", ........ ,.",,,,, ... lB
6 Barefoot on a Forest Path .. """"" ...... """ .... 42
Book Two Illuminations
The Three: Sd ...cs.. " ...... "" ....... "" ...... " ....... 59
II E es of the: Shaman"" .... ", ........ " ........ "" ... GS
9 A Well-Rounded Woman ..... "" ...... " .. ,.... ",84
10 The Rawr's Ed 'c." ... ,,, .... , .... ,, .... ,.,,,,., .. ,,,,
7
II
Tower ofT jf<:
11
The
I]
R<:a1m of th <: S<:nscs '"" ...... " ... " ... "'"".".,, .. II B
aw,~
100
of Fear"""" "" ..... "",,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,. 106
14 Flying 011 Wi ogs of Stone, .... ",,,,,,, ." .. "", .1111
IS In me Service ofSpirit... " .. "" ........."" ..... ,,139
19 Rc ... darion and the Warrior's Way.. " .......... 179

Book Three: The Great Leap

100dyssey............................................... ...... I? ]
11 Sunlight Under the SC'3 ............................. 202
2.:1. Living, Until We Die........................ ........ .112
13 Lessons ofSolirude............................... .... 2.:I.9
Epilogue: There Arc No Cooobycs............... 140
Aftcrword ....................................... ............... 243
Acknowledgments............................... ....... ... y6
About .he Author.......................................... 148

Whol if you slop', and whO I il in you. sleop

you d.eam ed, and who 1 il fn your d.eom
you wenl 10 hooven ond there you plucked 0 51ran90
and beaulilul flowe., ond who I if when you awoke
you hod lhe flower in your hond? Oh, whol rhCfl?
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
My FIRST BOOK, \%y ofllu Ptflctfi,l \%nior, relates my adventures,
training. and tC'its with an old service-station mechanic whom I
named "Socrates. Readers of Ptaufill \%rrior will remem\)(r how,
R
after expanding my view of life. he sent me away to assin,ilate his
leachings and prepare myself for a /lnal confront:llion described at
the end of that book..
This period of exile. preparation. and initiation that I am
about to relale bcgin~ wilh personal struggles Ihal send me on a
quest to reawaken the faith I had found with Socrates. then somehow lost.
StlcrtdJOU",? siands alone. and it can be read independent of
\%y oftht Ptflufol \%n-ior: However. you should understand that
this Story takes place not afte r, but within Puutfi,l \~,"ior. In
other words. you could read way of tJu Ptartfo' \%rrior 10 page
184. then !C2d Sncrtd jOllTllty in its entirety. and then read the le.n
of Wily ofl/lt PtflUfol wan-ior. That's how the saga actually unfolds
"

x
DAN MIllMAN
in chronological order. It is not necessary [Q re:td them this way,
but 31 least now ),011 undcfSland where this story fil'l within the
larger pictutc.
In the futun: I ecpeCt to write other books in this series. But
now we turn to SaCTtd jOllm?
I have, in DCI, traveled 3round the world, h2d unwual cxperienttl, and met rcm:t
rkable ptoplc, but this book blends fuet and
fiction, weaving threads from the fabric of my life into a quilt that
stretches ::tereS! different levels of realiry. By presenting spiritual
teachings in story form. I hope to brc:nhc new life into andent
wisdom, and to remind you that all our journeys are sacred, and
all ollr lives an aclvenllltc.
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<:: l1Q$ do nutor

A Suggestion from Socrates

Free will d oe ~ no! mean thai you e ~ robl i~ h rhe curriculum:
only th at you can elect what you w ont
to lake or 0 givel'l lime.
- A COUf$" In Miroclel
UTE AT NIGHT in an old Texaco sc:rvicc: sUlrian, during training
sessions that r:mged from miir:uion to cleaning toilets, from
deep massage
to
changing sp;uk plugs, Socrates would sometimes
mention people or places I might somc:cl:ty visit for my "cominuing educ:uion.
Once he spoke of a woman shaman in Hawaii. On other
occ:t5ion$, he referred to 3. $chool for warriors, hidden somewhere
in Japan or China, and of a book or journal he: had lost someM
where in the desert.
Naturally, these things intrigued me. but when I asked for
details he would change the subject, so I W~ never cerrain whether
the woman, the school, or the book actually existed.
In 1968, JUSt before he sent me away. Socrates again spoke of
the wom;tn shaman. "I wrote [0 her about :l year :lElO. :lnd 1
mentioned you.~ he said. "She wrote back - said she might be

"
M;,lc'ial p'o~por dc'c<:ho:s do mJtol

xii
DAN MILLMAN
willing [0 insrruct you. Quite an honor," he added, and suggcsted
that I look her up when me time fclt right.
"Well , where do I find her?" I asked.
"She wrote the letter on bank stationery."
"What bank?" I asked.
"I don', recall. Somewhere in Honolulu. I think."
"Can I sec the lener?"
"0ont'Ilave II' anymore.
"Docs she: h:l.Ve: :I name?" I asked, exasperated.
"She's had severo names. Don'( know what she's using right

"~.
Well, what does she look likc? ~
"Hard to say; I haven't seen her in years."
"Socr:llcs, help me Out here!"
With a wave of his hand, he said, ''I've told you, Dan - I'm
here to support you, not make it easy on you. tf you can't find her,
you're not ready anyway."
[ took :I deep breath and counted to ten. "Well what about
those other people and pl:tccs you mentioned?"
Socrates glared :It me. "Do I look like: a tr,m:! agent? }IL't follow your nOSe;
(rust your instincts, Find her first; then one thing
wil1!ead to the next."
Walking back toward my apartment in the silence: of the: e:nly
morning hours, I thought about what Socrates had told me: and what he hadn't: If
I was "ever in the neighborhood," he had
s.1id, J might want to contact a nameless woman, with no address,
who might still work :u a b:mk somewhere in Honolulu; then
:lgain, she: might nOI. If I found her, she might have somelhing 10
teach mc:, and mighl direct me to the other people and places
Socrates had spoken of.
As J lay in bed th:lr night, a part of me wanted to head
straight for the airport and catch a plane to Honolulu, but more

Prologue
XIII
immediate issues demanded my attemion: I was about to compete
for the last lime in Ihe NCAA Gymnaslics C h:tmpion~ hips, Ihen
gradwte from college and get married - hardly the besl time 10
run off 10 H3.wa.ii on a wild-goose chase. With Ih3.t decision, I fell
asleep _ in a sense, for five y(al'S. And before I awakened, I was
10 discover Ihat in spire of :til my lraining and spiritual sophistication, I re
mained unprepared for whal was 10 follow, as lleaped OUI
of Soc's frying pan and into rhe fires of daily life.
M;,lc'ial p'o~por dc'c<:ho:s do mJlOI

Where Spirit Leads

The impol1orll thing is this:
To
bo teody 01 ony momenl
10 50CIifite whot you ore
lor whol you could become.
- Cha,le. o-..bo;'

Out of the Frying Pan

Enlightenmen t consists not merely
In the seeing of luminous shapes OI'ld vl ~i on$.
but in making th e dorkn(m visible .
Tho lotler ploceduro Is mOIC di ff icult,
and thfllelore. unpopula r.
- Carl Jung
I WAS MARRIED on a Sunday in the spring of 1967, during
my senior year at U.C. Berkel ey. Afte r a special dinner, Linda
and] spent our bricf honeymoon in a Berkeley hotel. J remember waking before daw
n. unaccountably dcprcs.~cd. With
the world still cloaked in darkness, I slipped OUt from under the
rumpled covers and stcpped sordy 0111 onm the balcony so as
not to disturb Linda. As soon as I closed the sliding glass door,
my chest bcg:m to heave :md the tears ca me. I could not undersrand why I felt &
0 sad, except for a troubling imuirion that I
had forgotten something impOft3l1t , ,\Od that my life had somehow gone awry. Th
is sense would Cilst a shadow over the years
to follow.
After graduatioll, I left the familiar college routine and my
athletic Gueer behind me. Linda was preGnant, so it W3S time for
J

DAN MIllMAN
me (0 grow up and find work. We mO\'ed to Los Angeles, where r
sold life insurance, [ felt as if I we~ inhabiting sonlt'One else's li fe.
Then I IConned that a coaching position had opened up at
Stmford University. I applied for and got the job. We mm'ed back
to northern California: our daughter HolI)' was born. To all
appearances t led a charmed life - ,'10 I continued ( 0 de:ny the
feeling that something felt fundamentally wrong.
Four yens passed. The Vietnam War. 11le moon bnding,
Watergate. Meanwhile, I immersed myself in the insular world of
university politics, professional aspir.uions. and family responsibilides, My ex
periences with Socrates - and his words about the
'woman in Hawaii. the school in Japan. and some kind of book in
the: desert - fade:d into the: dark re:ces.sc:s of my me:mory and the:n
we:re: lrut in the: shadows.
In 1971 11c:ft Stanford to acce:pt a fa culty position :u Ohe:rIin
College: in Ohio, hoping that I might outrun my depression and
strengthen our marriage:. Bur these nC'oY surroundings only ~rved
to clarify our diverging values: Linda W.lS at home in a conve:mional
world that repelled me for reasons I couldn't explain. I envied her
comfort. I looked at mysc:lfill dIe mirror of our relationship. and I
didn't like what I saw. I had once vkwed myself as a knight in shining armor. No
w the armor had nL'lted. Even as I played the role of
a wiS(' college professor. I felt like: a charlatan.
Despite Socrates' lessons about living in the: present moment,
my mind bU7.7.ed with regre( and anxiery. I was no longer good
company, not even for mysdf. Overstressed and OUt of shape. I
lost my physica.l edge and self-respect. EYe:n wof$c, t was going
through (he modons. having lost any sense: of the deeper rurpo~
or reason for my existence. I started to wonder. Could I continue
to prete:nd that e:ve:rything was well when my heart and gul.'i told
me something d se:? Would I have to pre:tend for the rest of my life:?
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

O\lt of the Frying Pon

5
linda sensed my discontent, and we drifted further apart she found olher, more S
3lisfying relationships, until Ihe weaken
ing rhread Ih31 held us IOgelher finally snapped, and we decided
to separate. I moved out on a cold day in March. The snow had
turned (0 slush as I carried my few possessions 10 a friend's van
and found a room in town. Lost and miserable, I didn't know
where to (Urn.
A few weeks huer, while: glancing at a faculty nc:wslc:ttu. 211
ilem caught my eye: It was an invitation for ill{et~ted faculty 10
apply for 2 tnvel grant to pursue "cross-culmral rcse:ltch." A sense
of destiny coursed through me - I was cem.in that 1 was meall{
to do this. Two hours later I had compieu:d the application. 'I1uee
weeks later. 1 was awarded the gram. A window had opened; I had
2 dirCClion once more. if only for the summer.
But where would J travel? The answer came during a yoga
class I had joined to get back into some kind of shape. The bre.llh
ing and meditative c:xercisc:s reminded me of lechniquC5 I had
learned from Joseph. one: of Soc's studems who had owne:d a small
cafe in Berkeley before he died. Joseph. had lived in M)'5ore, India,
for a time. and had spoken posilively of his experiene~ there. I
had :also read books on Indi2n saints. sagC5. and gurus. as well as
on Vedancic philosophy. Surely, in India. J might rediscover Ihat
trarucendent sense of freedom I had experienced with Socrates.
I would travel light, taking only a small backpack and an open
airline tickct for maximum Oc:xibility. I slIIdied maps, did some
research. and gOt a passport and immuni7.ations. My plans made,
I told Linda the ncws and explained that 1would send our daughter postcards and
would call when possible. but that I might be
out of touch.
"That's nothing new." she said.


OAN MillMAN
ON A WAJlM SPRING MORNING
just before the school
y~r
ended.
I sat on the lawn with my four-ycar-old daughtcr. "SWccthcllrt, I
have: to go away for awhile:."
"Where :m you going. D:tddyf'
"To India.
"Where they have elephants?"
.". Mommy and me: go with you?"
" V
"
~Can
WNot this time. but someday we'll go on a trip together - JUSt
you and me, Okay?"
"Okay." She paused. "Which way is Indiar
"That way, I pointed.
"Will you be gone a long time?"
M
"Not so very long.
JUSt
the summer maybe a linle longer.
You'U have summer camp. N
"But I won't have you. Who will rC:ld to me: before I go to
s\cc:pt
"Your mommy will."
"You're: funnier. And why can't you move back home with U$ ?~
I Iud no :tnsY,'er to that. I could only SOly. "Wherever I ::am, I'll be
loving you and remembering you."
"Do you have to go. Daddy?"
It was a question I had askl myself many limes, And
answcrl, "Yes, I do."
She S3C wim this for a few moments. "Okay. \Vill summer
camp be
fun ?~

~I
expeCt it will."
~Will you send me postcards?"
"WhenC'o'er I an," I uid, puuing my arm around her. We !fiat
this way for a while, and I think it made w both happy and sad at
me same time.

Ol,lt 01 the Frying Pan

7
A week later. the school year ended. After a biucrsweet goodbye to Linda. I hugg
ed my little daughter and slid into the tui.
"Hopkins Airporr," I said TO the driver. As we pulled away, I
lookol. back through the rear window (0 see my familiar world
growing smaller, until only nly own reflection remained, staring
back :u me in the rear window. 1 had the summer to se;l.rch, and
to sec what would unfold.

The Journey
A ~hip is sofe in harbor,
bu t tho t's nor whot ships oro lor.
- John A. Shood
REsTING B1WEEN HEAVEN AND EARTfi.
r gazed out the window
of the 747. down into th~ blanker of clouds cO\'cring the Indian
Ocean, and I wondered if the answers J sought lay somewhere
below. As I w:lTched these thoughts float by. my eyelids slowly
closed.
Moments lau~r it seemed, I was stanled awake as the jds
wheels touched down in the ancient land and buuling metropolis
of Ddhi. I had arrived in the humid monsoon season - constan dy
drenched by rain or sweat, I tT3.vdcd by antique taxis, rick.dI.3WS,
bUSd, and Hains, then walked along muddy roads and through
noisy baz.urs where Hindu fakirs demonstrated unusual po....-crs,
di~ciplines,
and austerities.
Days passed in dreamlike impressions of bright colors and
strange scents as incense :md cow dung blended in the opprasive
8
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<:: l1Q$ do nutor

The Journey
9
heat. From C:ticutta to Madr.lS to Bombay, I moved among
milling crowds. Sacred India, overburdened with bodies compres.sing i mo every s
quare mile. cvery square foot, it seemed.
I found my way into numerous schools of yoga, where I
le3rned 3 variety of postures, bccathing systems. 3nd medimions
like [hose Socrates ;md Joseph had shown to me. In C;tlcutta, I S3W
the: poorcst of the poor, living in squalor. Everywhere I IUrncd, I
met beggars - men, women, crippled children in f3gged clothing. Days later, in s
wk contrast to squalor, I StOOO on the hank of
the Yamuna River in Agr3, awestruck by the gr.lIIdeur of the Taj
Mahal and other temples of beauty and spiritual balance, as well
as Ies.sc:rknown ashrnms potent with spi ritual force.
On my pilgrimage' met sages speaking the anciem wisdom of
Advaita Vedanta, a nondualislic philosophy which lcaches that
samsara and nirv3na, flesh and spirit, arc JlOt separate, and whose
holy trinity arc Br.ilima the Creator, Vishnu the Sustainer, and Shiva
the Destroyer. 1 also sat at the feet of gurus who spoke simple wisdom and emana
ted a lovin g and powerful prese:nce. I felt the de:e:p
devotional fervor of the blJaklil. of holy men and women. I
trekked with Sherpa guides to TIbet, Nepal, breathing the rnrefied
air; I s:lt in caves and meditated.
But as the weeks passed. I grew more dejected. because I never
found anyone like: SoCr:I.fCl, nor did I learn anything that wasn't
available: in a W('sr Coa.~t bookstore. r felt as if I'd gone: searching
for the secrets of the Ean on ly to discovcr th~t thc 8&$t" had
apparencly moved to California.
I have thc grcatest respect for the spiritual traditions of India;
I honor its cultur.11 heritage and human tl'CaSures. But t'Vcrywhcrt I
went, I felt as if I were on the outside looking in. fishing in an
cmp,>, pond. It wasn't India's fa iling; it was mine . Aftcr fh'e weeks,
disheartened but resolute. j decided to return home and try to put

10
DAN MILLMAN
my broken filmily life back IOgcther. It was the right thing to do.
the responsible thing. I would mkc the castern route home. flying
from India
[0
Hawaii for 3. few days rCSt, lhen back to Ohio '0
my wife :lnd daughter. Sonlchow, I thought, things might nill
work OUt. Maybe coming up empty in India was a sign thar my
time with Soer-lIcs was :111 the spiritual Itaining I was meant to
have.
But if that were true. I thought. why is this restless fceli ng
growing monger?
The departing jet flew through the night. its wing lights
f1;uhing like tiny slars as we passro over a sleeping world. I tried
to read but couldn't concentrate. I tried
[0
slccp but dreams
ass:liJed me. Socrates' Dec kept popping up, :Jlong with fr3gmcna
of things said long ago. By Ihc lime we landed in Hawaii, the
Mpay-attcmion-thc:rc's-somcthingyou're-missing" feeling became
inlolerable. like a fire in my belly. I felt like screaming, What am
I supposed to do?
As I CLeAReD CUSTOMS and emerged, Stretching, into the bright
sun, the moist Hawaiian breC'LC$ soothed me, at least for the
moment. l.cgend had it that these islands - born of earth, air,
fire, and water - r.t.di:ued a pov.'Crful healing energy long before
sailors, priests, developers, and history opencd Hawaii as :a tourist
attraction. I hoped mat bene:uh the venttr of civiliution some of
the healing energy remained, and that it might quiet that barki ng
dog inside me that wouldn't let up,
After a snaek at the airport. a noisy bus ride through the busy
stI(S ofWaikiki. and an hour on foot, I found a small room off
the beatcn path. 1 teSted the leaky lOilet. thell quickly unpacked the
few belongin&" I'd stored in myoId baekp;tek. The half-open

Th.
JournG)'
II
drawer of the nightsrand revealed a dog-eart-d phone directory and
:I. barely used Bible. h would do for a few d ay~.
Suddenly dred, I lay back on the squeaky, sagging m:lIIrcss.
:lnd I remembered nothing more - umil my eyes snapped Open and
I jailed upright. wThe woman shamall! ~ I yelled alII loud, halfasleep, hardly k
nowing what I was s~yi ng. Then my brain awoke
fully. -How could I have forgotten!" I pounded my forehead.
"Think!" Wh:l.t had Socrates told me? Fits! one memory
surfu.ced, then another. He had urged me to find someone in
Hawaii, and he had menrioncd a school in - where was it? Japan! China? And ... s
omething about a book or volunle from :I.
journal he had losl in Ihe desert.
One day I might find that journal. But first I had to find the
worn:l.n. Of course - thari why I'm here I realizru; ,Iutti the sense
of destiny that had been gnawing al my insides. Finally, I knew the
rrn1 reason I'd taken this journey. It was as if I'd been wandering.
lost in a forest. then stumbled back Onto the path. Once Ihis fell
into place, my belly relaxed, and the :lche changed 10 excitement.
I could hardly contain my energy. My mind T':lccd: What had he
told me about the woman ! She had written to him on some kind
of st3tionery - bank stationery, that w:\s it!
I grabbed the yellow pages and looked up wbanks"; I counted
twenry-IWO of thenl in Honolulu alone, ~Wh o am 1 kidding?" I
muttered 10 myself. He hadn't told me her name or address, or
what she looked like. I had 31most nmhing to go on. It seemed
impossible.
Then thc scnse of destiny filled me 3g3in, No, this couldn't all
be for nOlhing, I "'':IS here, and somehow I would find III:r. I
looked at my watch. If I rushed, I could check OUt a few b~nks
before dosing time,
BUI this Vo'3S Hawaii, not New York Ciry; pt-ople here didn't
M;,lc'ial p'o~por dc'c<:ho:s do mJlOI

12
DAN MillMAN
Tush anywh~n:. And what would I do
3.t
the first bank anywaywalk in wc:lring:l signbo:Hd Ih:1I S3iu, "Looking for someone: 51'cciar~ Would I
whisper. "Socr:ucs sene me" (0 every tdlcr? I could
only hope that somehow this woman might recognize rhe name I
had given him - {she still worked at a bank. ifshc existed at :111.
I sraroo Oil! the window at :t brick w:lll across the allcl'.
The

beach was only ten blocks away; I'd get some: dinner, go for a w:llk
in the s,1nd, and decide what to do. I made it to the water's edge
just in time for sunset, only to realize ,har rhe sun set on the WCStern side of the island , and I was on the eastern shorr:.
~ Terrifi c."
1
said under my br~th. "How am I going (0 find my mysu:"ry
woman if I can'! even find the sunsct?M
I lay down on the soft sand, still warm in the evening air, and
gaud up at a palm nee overhead. Watching its green fronds swaying in the: soft b
re:C!"lc. I searched throllgh my mind for a pbn.
The ncxt day. as I walked by the office of a local newspaper. it
cune to me. I entcrro ,he building, and quickly compo,sed an ad
(0 appear in the: "Personals" column. It rC".Icl: "Young fri('nd of
Socrates, s('e:king like-minded female b:mker. Let's make change
togcther." I added my motcl phone: number. Probably a lame: ide3,
with about the same: odds of $ucces~:15 stuffing a note in a bot,le
and tossing it into the 5('3. A long shot. but at least 3 chance.
J visited 3rt galleries, went snorkeling, and
lay on the beach - waiting. just waidng. My personal ad had
come up empty, and pounding the: pavement Sc!tmoo like: an eXetci$e: in futility
. Discouraged, J called rhe airport 3nd booked a
flight home. I was ready to call it quits.
On the bus ride to the airport, I sat in a kind of stupor.
un::aw:lre of my surroundings, I found myself St:lnding in front of
the airline: counter. Then, in the boarding lounge. as the agent
SEVERAL DAYS rASSED.
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p>'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

The Journey
13
called my flight, a voice inside me said, No. And I knew I couldn't
give up. Nor now, not ever. I had to find this woman, the link
betwccn my past and future ,
I canceled my flight, bought a city map, and caught me next
bus back 10 Honolulu. On the way, 1marked the location ofcvery
bank on my list.
featuring generic bank decor, was nearly empty
at this time of day. Sc:mning the room, I spotted a good possibiliq- - a slender
, athletic-looking woman. maybe in her late fonics.
She turned and gave me a brief smile. When our eyes met. I experienced a flash o
f intuition - this W:lS incredible! Why hadn't I
trusted myself from the m.n? She finished talking to one of the
bank officers and returned to her desk by the safety deposit boxes
and the vault. I waited patiently for the right moment; then, taking a deep brea
th. I walked up to her.
"Excuse: me," I s:tid, wearing my brightcst, clearest. most alert
smile so I wouldn't appear tot:llly crazy. ~I'm looking for a woman
- no, le[ me rephr.1se that - I'm looking for someone who
happens [Q be female. but I don't know her name. You sec. an old
gentleman - well, he's not exaetly a gelllieman - uh, an old man
named Soer-lles suggestcO I find her. Docs that name mean anything to you?~
"Socrates?" she said. "Isn't he a Greek or Roman guy - in history?~
"Yes, he is - M.S - .. I answered. my hope damJX!ncd.
~Maybe you don't know him by rh:1.[ name. He's a te:lcher of mine;
1 met him in a giU SftltiOll, .. r whispered emphatically, "a g.u nation
in Otli.fomin. ~Then I \vaircd, and held Iny breath,
Slowly. her eyes grew wider and then a lighr went all. ~ycs! I
had a boyfriend once who worked in a station in California. But
hIs name w:lS Ralph. So you think h could have been Ralph?"
ThE PIRST BANK.

"
DAN MILLMAN
"Uh, no. ~ I answered, disappointed. "~I don', think so.
MYcah, well, I gOtta get back to work. I hope you find
Archimedes _
MSumzUS. ftt corrected her. "And I'm nor looking for him. I'm
looking for a WOtllllflr
I fdt a chill, ::lnd her [one shifred. "Excuse me:, plc:lSC. I hope
ft
ft
you find a woman soon. ~
r fclt her g:'lC on rhe: back of my neck as I walked over to
another hank employee and did a variation of the same routine
with a woman about fifty years old wearing heavy pancake
makeup and rouge. Not a likely C:lndidate, bur I had to be thorough. She exchang
ed gJances with the firsr [('l1er, then looked back
at me, her eyes filled with suspicion. "C:m I help you?" she asked.
They must lcatll some kind of bank rd c:p:lthy. I thousht.
"I'm looking for a woman who works at the bank.~ I
explained, "but I've misplaced her name:. You wouldn't happen to
know anyone named $ocr:lles - ~
KPcrhaps you'd bener ralk ro an officcr,~ she interrupted. AI
first 1 thought she was referring 10 a security officer. bur she
pointed to:l. third woman in a duk suit, si tting behind a desk, JUSt
getting off the phone.
With a quick nod of thanks, J walked over to the officer,
looked her in the eyes. and declared. "Hi. I'm a peaceful warrior
looking for a friend of Socrates. ~
~1'V'hillr she replied. glancing toward the secu rity guard.
KJ said I'm a poumiill rwrom" lookil1gfor a fond o/s(Cllriries. N
"Oh," she said. smiling and straightening her coat. KThen 1
think we can help YOIL."
"Oh gosh, will you look at the time!" I said. looking at my
MICh. "I'll gct back to yOIi. We'll do lunch. Good-bye, ciao,
chccrlii. aloh:l." I left.

The Journey
IS
I USl..J the same peaceful warrior/potcntial customcr linc the
rest of the afternoon. Then I found a bar and had nly first beer
in a long linlc. And I don't even like beer. IU I walked through
the crowded streets of downtown Honolulu. 1 thought about the
wom,an, and rcalil.oo she would have 10 be considerJbly older thall
fony or fifty or even sixty. IfSocrau.:s had re:tU y been in his nineties.
as he claimed. she would have 10 be in her late seventies. Almost
certainly retired, I thoughl, di$hcanened. Still, someone might
know. might remember her.
Eight banks taler, I sat against Ihe wall of yet another institution of higher f
inance and reminded myself, Ne\'er, ever. even
t"ink abour becoming a private inveSlig:Hor. My back ached and
I fclt like I was developing an ulcer. The whole thing seemed
crazy. Maybe someone had given the woman the bank stationery.
Why would a shaman work at a b:tnk? But, then, why would an
old warrior like Socrates choose to work at a gas station?
More confused and discouraged tb:m ever. I had no mote illusions about magically
humping il1lo a shaman in a bank who
would immooiatd y recogni7.c me as her prodigal son. Any mllaining faith in my i
nluill0n was snlashcd :u fl:tt:\5 the soda can ne:lr
me on the sidewalk. I picked it up. stood, :tlld to5$ed the can in
the trash - a good dCl..l. At least the entire day wouldn't be
wasted,
The next day, I made the rounds at another ten banks until,
exhausted and numb, I could do no more, I was :uked to leave by
the security guard at ['....0 savings and loans and almost got arrested
at the laS( bank when I bec.1rne belligerent. My nervcs fr.t7.:l.led, (
decided to call it a day.
That night, I dreamed [ kept walking right past the woman I
was 5eeking, narrowly rni~sing her - like a scene in the movies
when the two main characters ate about to meet bur turn their

16
DAN MillMAN
backs at Ih~ last minute and miss each other. This .scene kept
repe.:ning itsclfin a maddening serie~ of rc=rakt!.'l.
I woke up tired. I was re<ldy and willing to do Il/lJlllillg 11m
d,y - anything at all - except search for a nameless female bank
employee. But somehow - and here my training with SoCr:l. t es
really paid off - I willed myself to gct 'Ip. get dressed, and get
going. Little disciplines like that c:tn make :tIlrhc difference in the
world.
The following day tested my limits. I did find one bright spot,
how~cr,
an oasis in a sea offrown ing r.'lccs: At the fourth bank of
the day. I mct an cxtl':lordinuily pretty teller, about my age. When
I told her I w:J.5 looking for 3. sptdfic wom;m, she a.~kcd. with a
dimpled smile, W
Arn I specifi c cnought
-I .. uh . . as a maner of faCt, you a rc o ne: of tile
01051
specific
women I've ~e n in a long time." I grinned. I (em.inly doubted
she was the woman shaman, but stranger things had happened,
and with Socrates - well, you never knew.
She 5[2(ed into my eyes, as if waiting for something. Maybe:
she was jUst flirting. Maybe she wanted me to make a deposit in
her bank. Or maybe she knew something. For all I knew, she
could be the shaman's daughter. Or something, I couldn't afford to
pass up any lead, ilOld myself, Anyway, I could stand a little fun.
~Do you know who I am?~ I askt'tl.
"You look familiar," she answered.
Damn. Did she know or didn't she? "Look, uh," I glanced at
her namepl:uc: on the (ounter, ~Barb3ra. My name's Dan; I'm a
(ollege professor visiting Honolulu , and well, ie's kind of londy,
vacationing by yourself. I know we jl~f mct, but would you consider having dinne
r with me after work? Maybe you could show
me where the sun seLS, or we could talk about gas sr:nions and old
te:lchers. n
',\"t~ri .11
p'o'l1Uklo IX'" dcre<:: l1Q$ do nulor

The Jou rney

17
She smiled again - definitely a good sign. "If that's a line,~
she said, "at le.tSt it's original. I get off ,l[ five, I'll meet you out
front."
"Hey, that's terrific! Sec you then."
I walked out of the bank feeling good. I had a date, maybe
even a lead. But then why did a little "oice inside me ny, "Idiot!
What :lee you doing? Socratcs sends you on :;r. quest and you pick
up a bank tdler?"
"Oh, shut up!" I said aloud as a passerby turned and gave n1C
a look.
My w:l.tch rc2d 1:35. r could still make it to twO, maybe three
more banks btfore five o'clock. I looked at my mcct map, now
speckled with crossed-out bank sitcs; the First Bank of Hawaii was
right around the corner.

Fool's Gold
When o ne is willing cnd eoger, the 9od~ join in .
- Aeschylus
As SOON AS I ENTERED THE LOBBY, the guard glanced in my direcdon. uaned toward m
e, then wa.1k~ right by; Ile[ our my breath
:md glanctd up :I t the C2rneras; they all seemed focused on me.
With a busincs.slikc "ir, I walked over to a coumer, pl'C'tended to fill
out:J deposit slip. and ClSed the joint.
A few feet away sat a funcdonal desk, behind which sat a fun ctional bank office
r - a mil , aristocratic-looking woman in hcr
fiftics. She glanced up at me as I approached. But before: I could
ask her :lnything, she stood up. wl'm sorry - I'm laking a hue
lunch - but I think Mrs. Kaneoh:t can help you,~ she said. poineo
ing back tow-ud the other desk. Then shc turned. and left,
"Uh, thanks," I mumbled after hcr.
Mrs. Kancoha offered no htlp. nor did any ofche other tellers
or officers at thar or the next bank. where I was helped outside by
the security officer, who invited me not 10 come b3ck.
18

fool'. Gold
19
Ready to laugh - or cry - I slumped against the last bank's
polished stone eXlerior and slid 10 :t silting position on the side
w:Uk . "I've had it," I said our loud. "That's it, forget it, no more
banks."
I understood the importance of perse\'ering, but there's a
point to stop banging your head againSt a wall. And this JUSt
wasn't .....orking out. I would go on my dale, w:llch the sun SCI, and
then head back to Ohio.
As I sat there feeling sorry for myself, I heard a voice ask,
"Are you all right?" I looked up ro see a small but plump Asian
woman whh silver hair, wearing an oversized muumuu, holding
a bamboo cane. She looked about seventy years old - maybe
older. She smiled down at me with an expression of rnatern:tl
concern.
"I'm okay, thanks," j replied, standing up with some effort.
"You don't look okay," she said. "You look tired."
Irritable, I almost snapped, Whal business is il of yours! But
I tOok a deep bre:lIh instead. "You're right," I confessed. "I :un
tired . But I've been tired btfore; I'll be fine, thanks." I expccted
her to nod and walk aw:ly. hut she .~tood there. Slaring at me.
"Just the same." she said. ~ I'II bel you could usc a glass of
JUice. "
"Arc you a doctor or something?" I asked, half in fun.
"No," ~he ~mi lc-d . "Not rcally. Bur Viclor- my gO<bon - he
burns il at bolh ends. 100." Seeing my puzzled look, she quickly
added. "You know, his ClIndle."
"Ob," I replied, smiling. She seemed like a nice lady. "Well. I
guess I could stand a glass of juice. Can I set you one, too~"
"That's very nice of you," she ~aid as we enlercd a sidew:llk
cafe next door to ,he bank. I nmiced she walked wilh a pro
nounced limp.
..
M;,lc'ial p'o~por dcre<:ho:s do mJlor

20
DAN MILLMAN
"My name's Ruth Johnson," she informed me, leaning her old
b:tmboo Clnt: :lgainst the (O Unier and reaching out to shake hand~ .
Johnson - it wasn't your typical Asian surname; I gUCS5ed she was
m:mied to a C1ucasian.
"Dan Millman," I said in return, shaking her hand. I ordered
a carrot juice.
"The same," said Mrs. Johnson. tU she turned her head toward
the waitress. I studied her f:lcc part Hawaiian, [ guessed. or
maybe Japanese or Chinese. with an overlay of tan.
The waitrCS5 SCI our juices down on the counter. , picked
mine up. then nmiced Mrs. Johnson st;uing at me. Her eyes
caught mine, and held the-m. She had deep eyes, like Socrates. Oh,
come 011, I thought. Stop imagining things.
She cominuc-d
10
narc.
~Do
I know you from
solll<:w h cre?~
"I don't think so," I said. ""1i5 is my first time here,"
"In Honolulu~"
No. on planet earth. I thought. ~Yeli." 1 said aloud.
She examined me imently for another moment. then rem;trked.
~Wdl. then. it mwt be my imagination. So, you're visiting~"
"Yes. I'm Otl the faculty at Oberlin College - here 0 11 a
research trip," I replied.
"No, go on! Oberlin? One of my nieces wem to Oberlin!"
"Olt. fCally, " I said. looking at my watch.
"Yes. And my godson. Victor - he's considering it for nat
year. He just graduated from Punaho School. Say. why don't you
come over to the house tonight? You could meet Victor; he'd be
thriUtd to talk with an Oberlin professarl"
"I appreciate the invitation. blll J have other 1)]:1115."
Not at all discouraged. but with a trembling hand. she
scrawled an address on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "If
you change your mind."

fool's Gold
21
'Thanks again,'" said, standing to lC3v~.
"Thank )('11, ~ she said. "for Ihe juice."
"My pl c:l.S ure,~ I answered, tossing a fivedollar bill on the
counter. I hesitated for a mom~nr, then asked, "You don't happen
to work in a bank, do you?~
" No." she answered. ~ Why?"
"Oh. it's nothing."
"Well then, aloha," sh ~ waved. "Crcau: a nicc day."
I S tOp~ 2nd turned back [Oward h~r. "What was that you
said - 'Crtau a nice dayT
"v
les. "
"Well, mon people say, 'Hmtt a n ic~ day.'"
"I suppose they do."
"It's jUst that an old te:lcher of min~ - h~ used to say that."
"Really," she nodded, smiling at me in a funny kind of ....':l.y.
"How interesting."
My reality meter started buzzing: my tongue went a little
nwnb. Was .something a liule off?
She stared at me ago"in, then impaled me with a look so
intense the caft! disappcan.-d. "I know )'ou." she said.
Suddenly, everything grew brighter. I fdt my filee flush. and
my hands staned [0 tingle. W1lerc had 11a.~ t felt like this? Then J
remembered. An old gas station, one starry night.
"You know me?"
"Yes. I wasn't surt at first. but now I recognize you as a good
he;;med person. bUI I think a lillie ilard on yourself."
"'That's itt I said. let down. "That's what ),011 metnt?"
"'And I can lell that )'ou're londy, and that you need to relax a
little more. A barefoot walk in the surf would rdax you - yes. you
need a barefoot walk in the surf," sile whispered.
Dazed. I hear myself ask. "A barefoOi walk in the surft

22
DAN MILLMAN
"Exactly.
In
M
fog, I st;mc:d toward lht exil, wilen I heard her say,
you tonight - 2boUI seven o'clock.
l\
MSCC
M
I DON'T CLEARLY REMEMBER leaving the caft. The next thing I
knew, I found myself carrying my shoes, walking along Ihe clean.
wet sand ofWaikiki. my feet w:I.lihcd by the shallow surf.
Some time latcr, a seagull landed nearby. I glanced a1 ii, then
suddenly looked up and around :IS if waking up. WIJat UlIlI I
doing },ad In :1 moment it came back 10 me: Ruth Johnson ...
the: c.1f~ her house . , ,5t\'(,11 o'clock. J looked :u my w:lIch; it
said 6:15.
A quancr after six. a quarter after six. I rc~atcd
10
myself,
:l$
if that meant ro mctlling. Then if dawned on me: I had JUSt stood
up Barbara. Ihe prc::try bank teller.
I fell prett}', too - preuy dense.
And so, wilh no thing else (0 do, ( c:Lugiu a bus to an attrae
rive suburb of Honolulu, [hen walked umil I found [he address
Ruth Johnson had wrincn down. A[ lean I [hought I had found
Ihe nghl address: her handwridng wasn't very clcar.
AI 7:15, I walked up the driveway of a well-kepr home. C3r5
filled Ihe dri\'eway, dance mllsiG poured 0 111 of Ihe open doorway,
and an older woman sat on a porch swing, gliding in and out of
du~ moonlight. I climbed Ihe Sleps and saw lil:!.t she wasn't Ruth
Johnson. Inside I heard people talking loudly. Someone laughed.
I had a sinking feeling [har this was the wrong place.
The woman on Ihe swing said, "Aloh:!.! Go on in! "
I noddallo her and elllercd Ihe house, surveying Ihe large living room, crov.-dc
d with teenagers and a few older men and women
- dancing, talking, eating - the women in flowered dresses or
hailer lOpS, and Ihe men in jeans, T-shirtS, and lank lOpS.

fool'l Gold
23
The music slopped for a momen .. I heard a splash as someone jumped, or fell, im
o the ~w;mming pool jlls( visible through
sliding doors. Loud laughter followed.
I tapptd a young woman on the $houlder just as a rock-'n'-roll
mne st:Jrted; I had to yell 10 be heard above the music, "I'm looking for Ruth J
ohnson.~
"Who?~ she yelled back.
"Ruth Johnsonr I yelled louder.
"I don't know too m;J,ny people here," she shrugged. "Hey,
Jan e r,~ she called to someone else. "You know any Ruth Johnsonr
J:met s.1id somerhing J couldn't hear. "Never mind," I said,
and headed for the door.
Walking down the front stcl)S, I s!Opped, and gOl\'e it one last
ny. Turning to ,he woman on Ihe swing, I asked. "Does Ruth
Johnson live here?"
"No," she s.1id.
"Oh.~ Depressed, I turned 10 leave. Couldn't I do flIrythillg righe
"Ruthie's stllying with her siSler down the streer," the woman
added. "She wenl to buy more soda."
Jun then, a car pulled up in front.
"There she is now," the woman paimed.
No one got OUI of the car at first . Then I saw Ruth Johllson
climb slowly to her f~t. I <Juickly ran down the steps to meet her,
anxious to get to the bonam of all tbis, one way or the other.
She was reaching to pick up a grocery bag when I s.1id from
behind her, ~l..c t me help ),ou with that." She turned and looked
ddighlCd - bllt nOl surprised - 10 sce mc.
"Ma/Ja/o! Thank you!" she said. "You see, I was right about
your being a kind person."
"Maybe not as kind as you think, ~ I said, as a picture of my young
d1ughter. and the wife 1(1 left behind, nashcd through my mind.

24
DAN MillMAN
I walked. slowly up the from steps to keep pace with her. "So,
why did you really invite me here?~ I :l.sked.
"Sorry 10 slow YOli down," she said, ignoring my quc:stion. "[
had a small - well, stroke, you could say. 8m I'm geuing better
all the time."
"Mrs. Johnson, an we get to the poi nl?~
''I'm glad you found the house," she said.
"I'vc come a 1ong way-
"Yes, people come from allover for one of our parties. We
really know how to have: a good timd "
"You don't really know who lam."
"I don't imagine anyone really knows who anyone re:tlly IS.
But here we arc anyway," she said brightly, "And while you're here.
why don't you come in, Im:c:t Victor, and c llj oy the party!"
Disappointed. I leaned up again.~t the wall and st:lred at the
ground.
"Are you all riShl ?~ she asked. concerned.
"I'm okay,"
"Hey. Ruthie," someone yelled from inside. ~Did you bring
the soda and chip5?"
"H;I;ve Ihem righl hcre. Bill."
Shc IUrned (0 me. ~Uh. what did )'011 5:1y your namc was?"
I look~ up at her. "Dan." It came out likc "damn."
"Well. Dan, come on in, dance a little, meet some people.
Thou should perk you up."
"Look, I appreci:lIe the offer - )'OU .seem like a nice lady - bm
I'd bener be going; I have a lot to do lomorrow." Suddenly tired, 1
took a deep bltath and stood, "Have a nice party. and thanks - ull,
mahalo - for your kindness." I mTncd tow'.trd thc street.
"W:lit a moment," 5he said, limping aflee me. "Look. it wa.~
my mistake, having you comc all the way OUI here. Let me give
you something for [he road." She reached into her pUf$e.
',\"t~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

25
Fo o l ' s Gold
" No. really. I couldn't. I don't nted - "
She grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes; the world
sr:med spinnin!}
~ You
take this." she s,1id . pushing what looked
like crumpled bills into my hand. "Maybe we'll meet again,"
She turned abruptly :l.nd e nte~d the house, The sound of
music grew louder. then suddenly quiet 3S the door slammed shut,
Clenching the money in my fist, I shoved it inro my pocket
and walked on, imo the warm night,
Coconut and banyan crees and landscaped lawns faintly shone
under [he light of the street lamp ncar a bus stop, where I collapsed
to:.l sirring position, trying
10
d(';lr my head. Somelhing was off
hete'. nOlhing made ~ense, It Imd to be her, but it w:15n't, I was hack
to zero,
I didn't know if I could bring myself to visit another bank; I
was tired of getting treated like a nut case, Maybe it was hopeless;
maybe I W:l.$ JUSt a Slrange person, as my wife had said, Maybe she
was right about everything. Why couldn'[ I JUSt be a normal guy
:lIld go to ball!}1.lIles and movies and ha\'e barbecues on Sunday?
I W:15 seriously con.~ idering flying home Ihe next o:lY and secing a good thera
pist when the bus :ltrived with a sighing of air
brakc:s. The door opened; I got to my feet and reached into Illy
pocket for the money - and saw that Rurh Jail nson hadn't given
me any money after all.
"Hey. buddy.~ the bus driver said.
~ You
getting a ll or nod"
Intent on opening the- crinkled pieces of paper, 1 h:udly heard
him, and didn't answer. Then my eyes opened wide and I Stopped
breathing. Vaguely aware of the bus pullins away without me. I
at the two pieces of paper in my hands: The first was a
ncwspoper lid, dipped from the "PersonllJs" s(ction. It began,
Stared
M;,lc'ial p'o~por dcre<:ho:s do mJlor

26
DAN MILLMAN
"Young ~ccfuJ warrIor, friend of Socrates," I heard mY$Clf
breathing rapidly; my whole body trembled.
On the: second piC(;c of paper. I found a note Mrs. Johnson
had scrawled in a shaky. nearly illegible hand. It read:
fi"}Tom lilt 0'" school - the hard school Nothing;1 Xi1lfll with..
Ollt drs;rt, p"pamtion. and initiatiolt. Thflt is n qlltStiOIJ of Inut,
and foil/,. 0" Thtmday tl.'flling. thrrt nights from now, tbt (urrrnts
lIIil/ be (Xtlt:fry righl. !f)'O/l wish 10 (ol/fi"ut, follow alllIJm ifIJfNuHom
prrcistly: Go to Mnlmpflll /kach ;n flu rarly tWrling.
I turned Ihe nolt over. It conrinued:
Yo/I will Itt (/ rorky /lr((t toward Mllkopull Point. Walk low,,,d
the poillt untilYOII find n small mid Onr side;s (4l1td in. Sf"i"d it,
YOll11ut II IArgt surfboard. Whtll YO/l nrt II/Ollt - at dllsk. not btforr
- IlIkt tlu board "'td padd', out bry01ld the 1IIrf. A strollg ridt will
IN goillg OIl!; I~f flu currtnl1 taRt you. Bt mrt ...
Strange - that W'J.1i all. "Be sure ..... The note elided there.
What did she mean by that? r wondered, stuffing the note back
into my pocket.
Then my wonder changed to excitement and l profound sense
of relief. My St':l.rch Wa5 over. I'd found her! A founl:lin of energy
welled up inside me. My senses opened: I felt the temperature:
of the air, hc-.ud faraway crickets, and smelled the fresh aroma of
newly mowed lawns, Wet from an earlier rain. I walked all the way
baek to my motel. By the: time Ilrrived, it W,lS nearly dawn.
I fell onlO the: W with a bounce and a squeak and stared at
the ceiling. Mueh later. I drifted to $Icep.
That night. I dreamed of skc:letons - hundreds of them bleached white by the sun
, washed up on the rocky shofe, lying
askew on black lava rock. A wave crashed, and the $hore W:L~
washed dean, leaving only the lava, black as night. The blackness
swallowed me:. 1 heard a roar, soft at first. then growing louder.
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

Fool', Gold
27
Awakened by rhe whine of 0. garbage truck outside. I opened
my eyes and stared at the ceiling - but the stark images of skele~
tons remained in my mind, along with a scn~e of awe and foreboding, Thursday eve
ning. it would begin.
new wave was rising. Jun like the old
days. This intensity and excitement made me realiu: how sleepy
my life had felt these past few years: I had become an armchair
warrior whose battles were cho.mpionc:d by alter egos on relevision
or at the movies. Now I w:;u on my own feel. waidng for the bell.
1\UNCS WI!R rlCKJNG ori 0.

A Fire at Sea
What ;s to give light must end ure burning .
- Viklor Frankl
[ HAD MADE! NO SPECIAL PREPARATIONS, bccaU$C apparently none
were called for - juSt find a hig surfboard and go for a paddle.
Thursday afternoon. I checked alit of my hOld. rClidy to
Clmp on the bC<lch, ready for a change. rc=ady for anything. Or so
I thought. I carried my belongings, stuITed into my backpack.
down to Mak:apuu Beach. Brc:lIhing in the fresh. ~Icy air. I
walked. (o....':trd the: poinr. In the distance ahead, atop a mound of
1........1 rock. I
SOIW
an o ld ligillhousc sronding u:lrkly againu a crimson sky.
The walk was f:mhcr Ihan I'd thought; it was neuly dark
before I found the shed. The surfboard ....'1lS there, jllSt as she'd said.
It wasn't the streamlined
fi~rglass
I'd expected, but a massive, old&shioned st:.b of wood, 11kt ,he boards wed by the: anciem
Hawaiian kings - I'd seen a picture of one in NII/iollal GrogmplJir.
28
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

A fir. ot Seo
29
I looked oue over the dcsened beach and aim ocean. In spite
of the setting sun. the balmy :Lie was comfort:lble. 1stripped 10 my
nylon uunks. SlUffed my clothing and wallet 11110 my pack. and
hid my pack in the bushes. Then I carried the heavy board out
inca thigh-deep surf and set it down willi a loud slap on the glassy
surface.
With a l:utlook down the bc:.1ch. I pushed off. glided out. and
paddlrd awkmrdly through the waves. Panting with exertion. I
finally broke through the: l:ut phosphorescent whitCCl.p. barel)"
illuminated by 3. waning Illoon that appeared and disappc::lrc:d
with passing clouds. Resling on the ocean's gentle rise and fall. I
wondered about rhis strange initiation. Pleasant enough in the
tropical sea. bUI how long did Ruth Johnson want me to float OUt
here before coming back in. All night?
The rhythmic ocean S'ovells soothed me into a pleasant lassitude. I lay on my ba
ck and gazed lip into the constellations of
Scorpio and Sagittarius. My eyes scanned the heavens and Illy
thoughts drifted with the current as I w:lited for who knows what
- maybe further inmuctions from a spaceship for all J knew.
I MOST HAVE fALUN ASUEr. I sat up. waking with a gasp. not
knowing where I WlU. I found myself straddling the board as it
rocked with the swells. Until I awoke. I hadn't rc:aliz.c:d th.u I'd
been asleep. I wondered if enlightenment was like that.
I was looking around. trying to make: aUf the co;utline: in the:
darkness when it struck me: the: current. She: had wrinen some
thing about the current being "exactly right.~ For what? I
scanned the horizon in every direction, but with [he Sc::l'S rise: and
fall, and the cloud Caver, I was effectively blind umil dawn; I saw
no nan, no land.

30
DAN MILLMAN
I had left my walch on shore :Jnd h:J(1 no sense of time o r
bearings. How long had I driftc:d~ And where? With a chill, I realittd I might b
e drifting str:light OUI to sea. Gripped by a sudden
p:mic. I forced myself to Cllm my breathing. Paranoid fanrasic:s
played in the theater of Illy imagination: What if this old wonmn
is an c:ccc:ntric, or even crazy? What if she has a score 10 settle:
with Socratc$~ WOliid she dclibcr:ue1y . .. ? No. it couldn't be. I
thought. But I had 110 cC rl:ainty, no reference: points. My usual
methods of rC3lilY lesting weren't helping. me here.
As soon as I fought off one wave of fcar, another would roll
in. My mind sank beneath the surf:!.cc, and 1 shuddered as I im:l.ginc:d monstro
us sh:ldows swimming bcnc:llh me. I fdt small and
alone, :l floating speck in the ocean, :l thouS:lnd feet :lbove the:
oc~n floor.
Houl'l'i passed , :IS filr:l.S I could reckon. ll:ly still, liuenins for
the: sound of:l CO:lSt GU:lrd bO:lt. sonning the he,wcns for signs
of:l rescue copter. But no all(: knew where I W:lS - no one except
Ruth Johnson.
The clouds blO[(ed Ollt the moon and 5t;IrS. leavi ng the sky so
d:ltk r couldn't tell whether my eyes wcrc open or dosed. I driftcd
in :lnd out of consciousnc:ss, :lfrnid 10 sleep. Blltlhe ge nd ~., lullaby
rise and fall of the ocean swdls won Ollt. and 1 plunged down,
slowly. into silence, like a rock sinking into the depths of ,hc sca.
I AWOKE WITII TilE fiRST LlGIIT Of DAWN, realiud where I was,
sat up suddenly, :lnd fell off the board. Sputtering and spitting OUt
S:lltw:lIer, I climbed back on the board and looked around with
rising apprehension. I S:lw nothing hut ocean; the clouds sri!!
obscured any sight of land. For all I knew, I was far OtH in the
Pacific. I hnd heard about strong currents that could pull someone
strnighr out to sca. 1 could p;lddlc, but ill what directioll1 Again

A Fifo 01 Soo
31
fighting ofT panic. l forced mysdf 10 t:lke another deep breath and
tried to relax.
Then an even more dismrbing revd:uion dawned on me: I
had no shirt or sunscreen, no food. no water. For the first rime. it
occurred to me that I might really die out here - that this was no
middle-class adventure. r might have made a very big mistake.
Ruth Johnson had wriuen that it was ~a question of trUSt and
faith."
"Yeah," I muttered to myself. ~lrusr. faith, and blind stupid
ity." What had possessed me? I mean. who takes a surfboard OUt
into the ocean currents at Ilight bcc.1use an old woman write~ bim
II. note?
"This can't be h;appening." I said ;aloud , startled by the sound
of my own voice, quickly drowned by the vast Sp:ICCS above and
below. I could :tlready feel the heat of the morning sun on my
back.
The clouds dissipated. leaving a burning azure sky. 1 had time
to consider my situation - nothing but time. Except for the OCc:\sional call of
an ;alb;atross or the faint drone of an airplane far
above. silena: was my only companion.
Once in a while, I splashed my feet in the salty water, or
hummed a tunc 10 reassure my (';ll'S. But soon enough, the tunes
died. A sense of dru.d crept slowly up my spine.
As the day wore on, I grew thirslY. and my fear intensified
with the heat of rhe sun. I( wasn't the 5uddell fear of a gun in my
ribs or a car weaving head-on into my bne - just a quict kind of
knowingncss, a ~tark ineviubility thar unless someone rescued me
soon. I would bum 10 death on the cool green Sc:l.
The hours passW with agoniz.ing slowness. and my skin
slaned turning pink. By the lace afternoon. (hirst became an
obsession. 1 tried everything I could (hink of (0 protect myself: I

32
DAN MittMAN
paddled the board around [0 fuec different directions; I slipped
into the cooling w:uer many times, under the sheher of the board .
careful to maintain my hold on irs cracked ~ urf:tcc. The: water was
my only protection from the sun and C1uicd me inlo the blessed
dark.
All nigln. my body burned widl fe\'cr. then ~hook with chills.
Even ,he sliglllcst movement felt painful. I shivered as I husted
myself, overcome with remorse:. Why had I done such a foolish
thing? How could I h:wc HUsted that old woman. and why would
she have done this to me? Was she crud, or merely mistaken?
Either way, the outcome was the same: I would die whhau! ever
knowing why. Why? I asked myself 31r-lin and :tg:lin as my mind
clouded over.
I hlY still, my ski n blistered and my lips
I think I would have: died, but for a gift from the sky:
WHEN MORNINC CAMI!.
cra~cd.
Dark douds appeared with Ihe dawn, and a rainslorm swept over,
giving me 2 few hours of shade. 2nd of life. Raindrops. mixed with
tCOIrs of gratitude, stung my blistered face.
I had nothing to hold the water save: my open mouth. I lay
back with my jaW!> wide, Irying 10 catch every drop, until my
muscles began to spasm. I removed my minks so they could soak
up evtry possible: bit of r:tinw:uer.
Too soon, the scorching ~un fCturned, rising higher in the
empty blue sky, as if the stoml had never happened. My lips crncked
into deep fissures. Surrounded by walcr. I was dying of Ihirst.
Mail:llma Gandbi once said. MTo a stlrving man, God is
brad." NO'\\,. water had become my god. my goddrss. my one
thought and one passion - not cnlighlennlelll. not underst:md
ing - I would have traded chern in an insffim for one glass of
pure, cool. quenching water.

A Fira 01 Sao
33
I smycd in ,he mller, clinging to the board, for most of the
morning. But i, did nothing for the horrible Ihint. Later, in the aflernoon, I t
hought t s:tw a dors.,l fin circling nearby, and [ quickly
5crambled back onto the board. Bu[ as my skin blistered and I grew
more parched, Ihe: thought emered my mind dlat a shark's jaws
might be my only ddiver:mce from slow dealh. Like a deer that
bares its ,hroot to [he lion, a small but growing part of me: wanted
to give in, (0 just slip into the sea ;lllJ dis:tppc:ar.
When night c:1me again, I again burned with fever. In my
ddirium, I dreamed of swimming in a mountain spring, drinking
my fill, lyi ng in a ,--aIm pool, and letting the waler seep into my
pores. Then the smiling r.'I.ce of Ruth Johnson appeared, with her
silver hair, her deep eyes mocking my foolishne$S.
Drifting in and OUI of consciousness with the risc: and fall of
the se-.a, my faliona! mind faded in, then OUI, like a ghOSt presence.
In a lucid moment, I knew thai if I didn't find land by the next
day, it would be over.
Pictures flashed by: home in Ohio, in my backyard, sitting back
in my lounge chair in Ihe shade of a birch tree sipping a lemonade,
reading a novd, pi:l.ying with m)' daughter, eating 3. sllack just
hawe I was a linle hungry - the cornfom 3.nd safety of homt'o
Now, all that seemed a r.,r-off drc.,m, and thi.~, a nighlmarish reality.lf I sl
ept :H all, I don't remember.
Morning came milch too soon.
Thai day I learned about hell: pain md burning, fear and waiting. I was read)' t
o slip off [he board and swim a\vJ.Y in the cool water,
to let Death take me - anything [0 StOP the pain. I cursed the body,
this mortal body. It was a burden now, a source of suffering. Bllt
another pan of me hung on, dctcnninc:d to fight to my last bn::lIh.
The sun moved with agoni7.ing slowness across the sky. r
learned 10 hate the dear blue, a.nd I gnve silent thanks fot every

OAN MILLMAN
cloud that covered the sun as I clung to the board, submerged in
the water I could not drink.
I lay exhausted through the next night - neither awake nor
asleep - floating in purgatory. Squinting; through swollen lids, I
saw a vision of cliffs in dlC distance, and imagined I heard the fuim
pou nding of surf against the rocks. Then, suddenly nlert, I reali7.Cd
it was no vision. It was real. Hope Jay ahead, and Ijfe. I w:as goi ng
to survive. I started to cry, but found Ilmd no tears left.
A surge of energy coursed through me; my mind, now crystal
clear, snapped into focus. I couldn't die now - I wa.~ too clo_~c!
With all my remaining strength, I started paddling toward shore.
I was going to liw.
The cliffi now towered above me like gigantic skyscrapers,
dropping straiglll down 10 the 5ea. With increasing speed, driven
by the surf. I moved toward the rocks. Abruptly, the surf turned
Ilngry. I remember grabbing for my board as it snapped inw the
air and came crashing down. Then I muS( have p:tSSed our.

New Beginnings
Healing i~ a molter o/ timo,
by! sometimes al~ o a molter 01 opport unity.
- Hippocratos, Pre:plJ, Chapler I
ON TIIB ISLAND Of
MOLOKAI.
in Pc:lckunu Valley. set deep among
moss-covered crag;. lay a small cabin. Inside Ihar cabin,
;l
womans
.screams pierced dlC~ air. "Mama alia!' M:lrna Chi:l.r she cried Out in
pain and fear as she: snuggled in ,he throes of a difficult childbirth.
MOLOKAI - where, in the 18005, the lepers had been ailed, left
to dk, isolated from the rest of the world by fear and ignorance.
Molok::ii - home of native Hawaiians, Japanese, Chinese,
and Filipinos. with a small American and European population; a
rerte2t for counterculture and :tltcrn:ttivc lifc~tylcs; home of hardy.
independent folk who avoid development and the tourist trade of
the other islands, who work hard and live simply, who teach their
children b:uic values :IJId love of nature.
'Chill is plonounced
Chec-ah .~
35

36
DAN MILLMAN
Molobi - island of nature spirits and legend. secret burial
place of the Itnllllllil kIlPU//J, the shamans, magicians, and healers,
the spiritual warriors attuned to the energies of the earth.
Molokai was ready to welcome: another soul (0 the: earth.
Mrrsu FUJIMOTO. a small Jap.mesc American in her early (orlies,
tossed her head from side: 10 side, soaked in sweat. She prayed and
moaned and cried for her child. OIl1ins weakly. ~Mama Chia!"
Pushing on, paming with each conuacrion. she: fought for h er
baby's life.
HOURS OR MINUTes LATER - I cOll1dn't tell - after drifting,
delirious, in :md OU t of consciousness, I awok~, desperately thirsty.
If I felt thir5ty. I was alive! Tile: logic of that rcali,.atiQlI sblX:kc:d me
to my SenSes and. for a few rational moments, I scanned my body.
taking stock inside: and out. My head throbbed; my skin burned.
And I couldn't sec; I was blind! J moved my arm, now incredibly
weak. and fclt my eyes, discovering with great relief that they were
covem:! wilh g:tuz.c.
J h3d no idea where I W3S - in a hospit:lJ, in :I. room, in 0 11 io,
or maybe back in California. Maybe I h3d been ill or in some kind
of accident. Or m3ybe il was all a dream.
lay tangled and 1I13tled across her fa ce
:lI1d pillow. After ber first child had died, ntlrly ten years before,
she had vowed never to have another; she couldn't live through the
polin of another such loss.
But when she pmed the age offorlY, she knew th:1I this would
be her last chance. It was now or never. So Mitsu Fujimoto and
her husband, Sci. made their decision.
After many months, Mitsu's face grew radiant. and her belly
ripe. The Fujimotos were to be blessed with a child.
MITS ds LONG BLACK IIAIR
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p>'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

New Beginning.
37
Sci had fun into the valley to find help. Now Mitsu lay cantoned on her manress,
panting and resting between contrnctions
- exh:\ustcd, :\Ione, and afr:aid that something was terribly
wrong, that the baby was turned around. A~ each tidal wa'll! of
contractions hardened her uterine wall like stone, Mitsu screamed
again for Mama Chiao
WilEN I REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS, the world remained dark,
my eyes still covered with gauze. My skin was on fire; alii could
do was moan, and bear it.
I heard a sound - what was it ~ - like someone wringing out
a weI dOlh over a bowl of water. As if in answer, a cool cloth
touched my forehead; then a soothing odor filled my nomils.
Me emotions vcry d ose to the surface, I fclt a teu run down
my check. Ulll:mk you." I muttered, my scratchy voice barely
audible.
I reached up slowly and clasped the small hand that held the
clolh. now cooling my chest :lnd shoulders.
I was surprised by the voice of a girl - a young girl. maybe
nine or len y~rs old. "Rest now" was all she said.
"Thank you," I said again, Ihell askcd, uW:l I<:r ... pl<::lSC. ~
The girl's hand, behind my neck, gently lifted my head so I
could drink. I gr:lbbed tile cup and poured marl!, unlil il spilled
over my lips and down my chest. She pulled Ihe cup back. ""m
sorry; J'm only supposed to let you sip a litlle at a time," she apologized, lel
ling my head back down. Then, , must have slepl.
MlTsu's PAIN CONTINUED, but she was now too exhausted to
push, too weary to call out. Suddenly, the front door opened, and
her husband rushed in, panting from Ihe exertion of the sleep dirt
road. "Mitsur he called, "I've brought her!"
M;,lc'ial p'o~por dc'c<:ho:s do mJtor

38
DAN MILLMAN
"Fuji. I need clean sheets now. ~
Mama Chia said, going
scr:ligln 10 the exhausted madler-to-be :lnd checking her vi tal
signs. llh~n she quickly scrubbed her hands. YI'1l need three cle.m
towels as wdl- and boil a gallon of water. Thcn run back down
to the truck and bring dIe oxygen. ~
Working quickly and dlicicmly, Mama Chia - midwife,
healer. iGlhuna - again checked Mitsu's vital signs. and prcparro
to (Urn rhe baby. This might be a difficult binhing. bur God will
ing. and with the hdp of the island spirits. she would save the
mother and, together. they would bring a /lew life into the world.
THE BURNING HAD SUBSlDP.D
from incessant pain ro a mild
throbbing. tIded.. cautiously, to move the muscles of my f.,cc.
"What have I done to mysdP''' I :ukcd in dcsp:lir, still hoping
to awaken from this nightmare - Crtl.:ty, stupid, unnecessary, But
it wasn't a dream. Tears stung my eyes. So weak I could hardly
move, my mouth cracked and dry, I could bardy mouth the words
again, ~Water . .. pJease. But no olle he:\rd.
I remembered something Socrates had wid me about the
search for ullimale meaning. "Better never 10 begin ... but once
begun . .. bener fini.~h. "
~Bc:ner never begin ..... I mUllered, berorc dropping off 10 sleep.
M
resounded rhrough Ihe open windows of Ihat tiny cabin in Ihe rain forest, Mitsu
man;\ed a smile
:u: she held the child to her breast, Fuji S.1t nearby, beaming, louc h
ing his wife, then his baby. 'Ihrs of joy ran down his checks.
Mama Chia cleaned up, :u she had done many limes in tile
past. "Mitsu and }'Otlr son arc going to be line, Fuji. J'1I1e:we them
in yourc:tre now - and, J'm sure, in very good hands." She smiled.
He cried unabashedly. taking bolh her hands in his and lapsing
THE CRY OF THE INFANT BOY
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

N,wa'ginning'
39
from Hawaiian to Japanese: to English: "Mama Chia, mahalo!
Mahalo! Arigtllo gOZllimoIII.' How can we eyer th3nk you?" he
asked, his eyes still wet with tears.
"You just did," she answered, Blit his expl'C!SSion told her that
neither his thanks nor his tears would be adequate payment in
Fuji's eyes - it was a matter of pride and honor - so she added,
"I'd loye some vegetables when you harvest, You grow the best
yams on the i.<;b.nd."
"You'll get the best of the bcst," he promise,\'
With a last look at Mitsu's tired but radiant mce as she nursed
her baby, Mama Chia galhered her backpack and left for her slow
hike down into the YAlley. She had another patient to sec.
I AWOKE AS THE SMALL, now mmi liar hands lifted my head and
gently poured some liquid OntO my tongue. [ 5Ud:cJ it down
grdily; it tasted strange, but good. After a few more sips, the
hands carefully smoothed some kind of salye oyer Illy f.lce, and
then oyer my chcst and arms.
"This is a poultice made from the fruit of the noni uee, mixed
with :lloe," she said in her soft young voice. ~ It will help your skin
heal. "
When , next awoke, I fdt better. My headache was nearly
gone, and my skin, though it fdt tight, no longer burned. I
opened my eyes; the g:ltllC bandages were gone, Glad 10 have my
sighc once again, I turned. my head slowly and looked around: I
W:IS alone, on a COt, in the corner of a small, bill dc-.m, olle-room
cabin built of logs. Light poured in through makeshift shades. A
wooden chest sat at the fOOl of the bcd. A chcst of drawers stood
against the far wall,
Many questions passed through my mind: Where am 11 I
asked myself, Who saved me? Who brought me he~?

40
DAN MIllMAN
"Hello?-l said. " Hdlo ~" I l'Cpe1red louder. I heard footsteps, then
a young girl enter!. She had jet black hair and a k.lutiful smile.
"Hello," she said. MArc you feeling allY
bcltcr~"
"Yes," I answcre<l. "Who ... who arc you? Where am I?
"You're !Jert," she answered anlUsed. "And I am Sachi, Mama
Chia's assinant," she said proudly. "My real name's Sachiko. but
Mama Chia calls me: Sachi for short - "
"Who is Mama Chia?'" I interrupted.
"She's my auntie. She's reaching me about the kahuna ways."
"Kahuna - rhen I'm still in Hawaii?'"
"Yes," she said, poi nting to a fuded map of thc Hawaiian
Islands on the wall behind my head. "This is Malak.'lL"
Incredulous, I could only repeat thc word. "Molokai? I drifted
10 Moloklli!"
MAMA ClilA made hcr W',ly slowly clown the winding p:\[ll . It had
been a busy wc:ek, and these past few days had left her tired. Sm
her work called forrh an energy beyond thac of her physical body.
She continued down the p:Hh through the fOfCst. No time to
rest now; she wanted to check on her nC\v padent. Her flowerro
dress, still damp from a rain 5hower, bore spots of mud on its
lower border. Her hai r dung to her forehead in wet strnnds.
Uneoncernw. about her appe:.1r:lnce, she quickened her pace the
best she could on the slippery forcst trail on the way to her patient.
She turned a final b~nd in the path - her body remembering
it so well she could walk it on a moonless night - and saw ,he
small clearing and the cabin nestled, :lImon hidden, against a
green wall of trees. "JUSt where I left it," she joked to herself. She
pa.ssed the nearby storage shed and vege~lble garden . and entered.
I TRIllO SITTINC UP 1l.nd looking out the open window. The
late afternoon sun slanted in and lit the opposite wall. Feeli ng

New Beginning.
"
woozy, I lay back down. "Sachi , ~ I asked weakly, "how did I get
here~ And - "
Then, with a shock, I sat up again, and nearly passed out as a
wonlan limped into tbe room and turned around.
~Ruth /ohmonr I said through crJcked lips. I (tied to sit up
tben thought bener of it. This was no dream; the p:'lin was It'll.
11le woman who had sent me out on the surfboard was standing
over me /lOW.
"You aimosl killed md" I yelled.
The old woman set her cane against the wall, fluffed up my
pillow, and gently pushed me back on the bed. She wasn't smiling.
but her face had a tenderness I hadn't seen before. She turned to
the young girl. "You've done:l good job taking care of him, Sachi;
your parents will be pleas(d. ~
Sachi smiled and left us :'Ilone,
"Who arr you?" I asked the woman. "\Vhat} goillg on hn-t?"
She didn't answer rig.ht away, bur as .~ he mas~aged another
salve into the skin of my /U.ce, she said quietly, "I don't understand
-you don't seem like a foolish young man - why did you ignore:
my dirtion$~ Why did you go out without any sunscreen, or
food, or water?"
1 pushed ber hand away from my face a.nd sat up again.
~WIMr directions? Why would I need sunscreen :H night ~ Who
takes food and water Out on a surfboard? Why didn't you tell me
what I would need?"
"Bur I did teU you," she interrupted. '" wrote if down - fOld
you to be: sure: to take: tbree days' supply of water, food, and sunscreen, and
- ..
"There w:tS nothing about any of that in ),our note," I interrupted.
She paused, puzzled and thought:fi.11. ~How e m that bc:?~ she
asked. staring into space. "On Ihe second page I wrote down
everything - ~

42
DAN MILLMAN
~ Wh at do
you m~';ln, 'second pageT' I :lSked. ~All you save: me
was the nC'ovsp:lpcr clipping. and a nOle. You wrote on the front
and back - "
~ Bu( there was another paget" she said, cutting me olT.
11lel1 it dawned on me: ~The notc:. MI s,1id. Mit ended with the
words. 'Be sure .. ,' I thought you were: ju.\t telling me to be certain.
As .~he realitcd wllar must have happened. Mam;!. Chia dosed
M
her eyes; a mixlUreof emotions passed over her fa ce for a moment,
thcn
diS!lp~arcd.
Shaking her head 5adly. she sighed. M
The next
p:tge lold you everything you'd need and where the currcms would
take you."
"' - I must have: dropped the Olhc:r page when I was putting
the papers in my pocket."
I lay back against the pillows. I didn't know whether to laugh
or cry. "And I assumed. out there
0 11
thc occan that you were just
from 'the hard schoo l: ~
"Not that hard!"' she replied. We laughed, bec:msc there was
nothillg else to do. and because the whole thing WdS so ludicrous.
Still laughing. she added, "And when you're feeling strong.er,
to fini sh the job, we em throw you off a diff."
I laughed evell louder than she: it made my hCld hurr again.
And. just for a moment, I wasn't sure whether or nOI she was
serious.
"But who are you~ I mCln - "
"011 Oahu, I was Ruth Johnson. Here, my friends, students,
p:lIielltS- and people I\'e :Ilmost killed - call me Marna Chia. ~
She smiled.
"Well, Mam:l C hia, how did I get herd"
She walked over to the island map and pointed: "The currents
took you across the Kaiwi Channel, around Ilio Point, and e:a.5t
ward along the north shore of Malak ai, p:lst Kahiu Point, loward
Karnakou. and you landed - ungracefully. 1 might add, but right

New 8eginningl
43
on time - ar Pelekunu Valley, just as 1 knew you would. There is
a mil,:l stairwell known by few people. Some friends helped carry
you Ilere,"
"Where are we?"
"In a secluded pbce - a forest reserve."
I shook my head, then winced as it "uobbed. "I don't understand :tny of this. \'
Vhy all the mystery~"
"All part of your initiation - I told you. If you had !xen prepared . .. .. Her
words trailed off. "I acted carelessly. I'm sorry for
what you had to endure. Dan. I intended to give you a test of
fuith, not set you deep-fried," she apologized again. "But like
Socrates, I suppose I have a nair for the dramatic."
"Well," I SJid, "Cln I :11 least consider myself initiated?"
She sighed. "I should hope so."
After a P:1Use, I asked. "How did you know I was coming to
Hawaii? Until a few days ago, / didn't even know. Did you know
who I was when we met, out~ide the b:mk? And how did you find
me i.n the firs[ pbce?"
M:tma Clli:!. gazed out the window for a moment before she
answered. "There arc other forces at work here - that's the only
way 1 can explain it. I don't often read the local papel'$, and I
almost never read the 'PersonaI5' column . But I w.u staying at my
sister's house on Oahu, for Victor's part)'. when I found the paper
on her coffee table. \Y,fe were goinS Out, and while I was waiting
for hu to set ready, I picked up the paper and skimmed through
ir. When my eyes somehow locked onto your message, a surge of
electricity passed through me, I felt a sense of dminl' ..
II:ty very still, but chills ran up and down my spine:.
"When I read that ad," she continued, "I could almost see
your :tce, 3S clearly as I see you now." She tenderly touched my
blistc:red cheeks. ~l was so glad you had finally arrived."
"But why would you be glad? Why would you care?"

"
DAN MILLMAN
"When 1 [c3d the ad,
jt
:tJl came b:lck to me - whllt Socrates
h"d written about you."
"What did he writc:~"
"Never mind that now. It's time you ate somedling-." she said.
Reaching into her backpack. she pulled OUI a mango and a papaya.
"I'm not really hungry," I s:tid. "My sIom3ch h:l5 shrunk. And
I'd r.lrher hdr whal Socr:tle! wrote about me."
"You've eaten nothing for seven days." she gently chided .
"I've done that before." I replied. "Besides, r nceded 10 loose
weight." I pointed to my w'list. now much IC:l.Ilcr.
"Pcrh3ps - bm rhis fcui! has been blessed, and will help YOIl
heal more rapidly."
"You really believe (hart
") don't bdicvCi lImO/lIM she answaed, CUlling open a fresh
papaya, scooping OUt the black seeds, and handing me half.
(looked at the msh fruit . "Maybe [am a little hungry,") uld,
and nibbled ;I. 5m311 piece. Its sweetness melted OntO my tongue; I
inhaled its ;trom;l.. "Good. And it h3.S healing properties~~
"Yes," she said, banding me a slice of ripe mango. "This, coo. ~
Eating obediently. I asked between bites, "So how did you
find me - back in Honolulu?"
"Another nvist of fine, " she replied. "Whel1 I found your ad,
1 decided to somehow make contact - or perhaps obscm : yOll for
a while, to sec if you could find me."
'" never would h:tvc found YOll - you don't e\'en work at a
bank."
"Not for silt years."
'" guess we found each other," I said, laking another bite of
m:lngo.
Mama Chia smiled. "Yes. And now it's time for me to go and
for you 10 rest."

New Beg il'll'li llg$

"I'm feeling much better, now - =ily - and I still want to
know why you were so glad I arrived. ~
She paused befote speaking. MThere's a bigger picture you
don't yet see - one day you may reach OLlt to others ... ,Il\(l find
the right level'"Jge and make a real difference. Now close your eyes,
and sleep. ~
lEvERAGE,
I thought as my eyes dosed. The word sruek in my
mind, and pulled me back to all incident years before, to a time
with SOCl'"Jtes. We were walking back toward the Berkeley campus
aFter a bfC'.Ikf:m at Joseph's cafl!. As Soc li nd I neared campus, a
nudem handed me a flyer. I gbnced at it. MS OC , I said, ~will you
look at this. II's about saving the whales and dolphins. Last week."
H
I sighed. "I gOt one :lbout oppressed peoples; the week before it
:lbout starving children. Sometimes I fed so guill}'. doing all
tbis work on myself when there are so many people in need out
there."
Socrates looked at me without expression. bur kept \V:llking as
if I'd S:lid nothing.
"Did you hear mc, Socrates?"
In response, he stopped, turned, and said, "I'll give you five
bucks if you can slap me on the ch~k. "
"What? What docs that have to do with - ..
"Ten bucks." he interrupted. upping the :lntc. I figured it was
some kind of test. $0 after a few fdnu, J took a swi ng - and
found myself on the ground in a painful wrist lock. A5 Soc helped
me up, he s:lid. "Notice how a liule levcrngc ca n be quite efft'ctive?~
"Yenh, I su re did," I replied . shaking my wrist.
"To re:tlly help people, you first n~d to undermnd them but first underst:lnd yo
ur~elf. prepare youn;clf; develop the daril}'.
WllS

DAN MILLMAN
the cour:tge, and the sensitiviry co exert che right leverage. in the
right place, at che right time. Then your actions wilt have power.
History. hc added. "1101d5 many examples of individuals and
nations who acted without the wisdom to foresee the consequences ....
That was the lase thing I remembered before fulling. into a
deep sleep.
M
Sachiko arrived with some fresh fruit and a
pilCher of water. Then, with a wave, she said, "-lime for school,M
and ran OUt the door.
Soon after, Mama Chia entered. She rubbed more of the
clean-smelling salve on my face, neck, and chest. "You're healing
well - aJ J exp<:cted.
"In a few days, I should be: ready to travel." I sat up and
Strttched. Clrefully.
"Travel?H she asked. ~You think you're ready to go somewhere?
And what will you find when you gel there - what you found in
THE NEXT MORNING,
H
India?~
"How do you know about India?" I asked.
"When you understand how I know," she said, "you'll be
ready to continue your journey." Mama Chia gave me a piercing
stare, "Abc: Lincoln once said that ifhe had six hours to chop down
a tree, he'd spend the first five hours sharpening the axe. You have a
grc::l.t task ahead, but you art not yet sharpened. It will take time,
and require great energy."
"Bur I'm reding better all the time. Soon I'll have enough
energy."
"It's not yo ur energy I'm talking about," she said with a sigh.
" It's mine."

Ne .... Boginning1
I lay back down, suddenly feeling like a burden. MI really
should go, I said. ~ you have other people 10 care for, I don't want
.
"
[0 Impose.
"Imposer she responded . MDocs the di:lnlond impose on Ihe
gem polisher? Docs the neel impose on the swordsmith ? Please,
M
Dan. Stay a while. I em rhink of no bClfer way to lise my energy."
Her words encnuDged me. ~ Well , I said, smiling, ~ it may not
be as hard as you think. I've trained as a gymnast: I know how [0
work. And I did spend tirne with Socrates."
" Yes,~ she said. MS ocra1cs prepared you for me; I'm to prepare
you for what follows. " She dosed the conrainer and put rhe salve
on the bureau.
"What do you ha\'c in mind? What do you do around here.
anyway? I don't sec ally banks inlhc vicinity."
She laughed. M
I play different roles, wear different hats for dif~
(erent people. For YOIl, no hat at all." She pau~ed. KMost of the
time, I help my friends. Sometimes I just sit and do nothing at all.
Sometimes I pr.1clice shapeshifring."
"Shape.shifting?"
"V
les.
" What'5 that?"
M
"Oh, becoming differenr things - merging with the spirits of
animals. or rocks, or watcr - that son of thing. Seeing life from
another point of view, if you know what I mean.
"But you don't actually - "
"I need to go now," she said. cuning my question in half. "I
have !>Wple to 5." She picked up her backpack she had.set down
near the bookcase, gtabbed her cane, and walked out the door
before I could say another word.
M

AS
DAN MILLMAN
I S3t up again with some: effort. I could barely sec her through
the open front door as she limped, swinging her cane, up the
winding path into the: forest .
I leaned back and w.uched the narrow rays of sunlight passing
through holes in the drawn cum..ins, and I wondered jf I'd ever
feel good about the sun ::again.
I'd suffered a setback, but I had found her. My body dngled
with a rising excitement. The road ahead might be: difficult even dangerous - bu
t at least it was OP(n.

Barefoot on a Forest Path

Tho deorc s! way Into th o Universe
i~ throug h 0 forest
wilderne u .
- John Muir
THE NEXT MORNINC
lound me r:l\'cnous, glad for Ihc bowl
offruit
o n the nighutand. I found a knife and spoo n in Ihc dr:\wcr and
:I.tc two banan:a.s. a passion fruit. and a papay:'! in quick succession,
followed by some mactdamia flUIS and raw sunflower scWs. I
reminded myself to slow down and chew. bur the food JUSt seemed
[0 disappear.
Feeling beucr after breakfast, I decided to explore my
surroundings. Swinging my less o ver the edge of thc: bed, 1 grcw
dizzy for a few mo ments, waited fo r it to pass, then stood. Weak
and unsrcady, I looked down
al
myself; I'd lost so much weight,
my swim trunks nearly fell ofT. ",'JI have [ 0 write :I. diet book.~ I
mUftertd. MI'JI c:l1I it 'The Surfboard Did - probably make a
million dollars. ~
51ill shaky. I totrc:rro toward a pitchl:r of waur on thl: drl:ssl:r,
took a slow drink, dll:n m:lde my way to soml: kind of chemical
49

50
DAN MillMAN
(Ojl~(
in:l cun:tined-offarca. It would do just {jne. At least my kidneys were still fu
nctioning.
I stared at my face in an old mirror. With its Doz.ing ~orc:s and
SCIlbs. it sccmed like Ihe fa ce of a stranger. Parts of my back were
still bandaged. How could that Iitlle girl Sachi bear (0 look at me,
let alone louch md"
M:1king my W:ly oUlSide, resting often. I stayed in the shade
of the cabin and trees. The solid ground fdt good undC'r me, but
my feet were: stilltcndcr. Without shoes, I couldn't go far. I wondered if my backpack. with all my belongings. had been discovered. If so, they m
ight think I had drowned. Or, I thought darkly.
maybe a thief had found my w:lllet. my air tickelS. my cf(llit card.
No. I'd hidden the pack toO wdl. h was set in :l dttp thicket.
covered by dried brush. I'd mention it to Mama C hia the next
lime I saw her, which, as it turned out, wasn't to happen for
several more days.
I managed (0 walk up the tmil a little ways until f found a
good vantage point. High above me. in the distance, stood the
bare lava cliffs jtllrins skyward in the celller of the island, above
the thick rain (orest. Far below, through the lush trees, I could just
make out bits of blue sky. My cabin, I estimated, lay about halfway
between the upper cliffs and the sea below. Tired, and a linle
depressed by my infirmity, I made my way back down the [('ail to
the cabin, lay down. and slept again.
As THE DAYS PASSED, my hunger fC'turned in a flood. I ate Iropi.
cal fmit, rhen SW~t yams, poI:ltOeS, corn. tato, and - :lllhollSh
my diet was nOflnlllly vegetarian - a small sa.mpling of fresh fish
along with some kind of seaweed soup I found on the bureau each
morning, delivered. I suspected. by Sachiko. Mama Chi:l had
insined I eat the soup ~to help relieve the burns."

Barefoot on 0 Forei! Path

51
Early mornings and late afternoons, I started walking farther,
hiking a fcw hundred yards inco che lush valley, up through the
rain forest filled with the smooth-skinned kukui tree, the twisting
banyan, the towering p3.lm, and the eUC3.lypftls, whose leaves
shimmered in the sea brttzes. Red and white ginger plants grcw
everywhere among the delicate ammmlrlll ferns, and che red eanh
was covered wich :\ rich carpet of moss, grasses, and leaves.
Except for the small clearing chal surrounded my cabin, C\'Cf}'thing 5(ood on a
slant here. At fiN! I tired quickly, bllt I soon gOt
my breath back, climbing up into (he moist, healing ai r of the min
forest. Bdow, a few miles away, sheet cliffs. the pali, dropped to
the sea. How had they ever C3.rried me up 10 the cabin?
The next few mornings, tmces of dreams lingered in my
awareness - im:lb'Cs of M:lma Chia and the sound of her voice.
And each morning I felt unus\I:\lIy refreshed. With :Ull:17.cment, I
noticed that my sores had peeled :\way rapidly. leaving cender new
skin. now nearly healed - almost as good as new. My Strength
was returning and. with it. :1 renewed seme of urgency. I had
found Mama Chia: t was here. Now what? Whal did I need to
leam or do before she would direct me to the next step of my
journey?
the sun was already rising as I awoke. listening [0
the shrill crie~ of 3. bird outside. 1 rose and set OUt on another shon
hike. My bare feet were getting used to the carth.
later, returning from the hike, I saw Mama Chia encering the
abin, probably expecting ro find me in bcd. I walked quickly down
the grode. nearly slipping on wer leaves, slick fronl an earlier
downpour. TIlinking I'd have a little fun with her, and proud of
my speedy recovery. I hid behind the shed and peered our a" she
emerged, punled. and looked around. I ducked behind che shed
THE NEXT DAY,

52
DAN MILLMAN
again and put my hand ovec my mouth to stifle a laugh, then took
a deep breath and pecked around the corner again. She was no
longer there.
Afraid that she hOld gone away to look for me. I stepped Out
from concealment and was about to call her when a hand lapped
me on rile shoulder; I mrntd to sec: her smiling al me.
~How
did
you know where I wast
'" hard you call to me:."
"I didn't call you."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't. I was going to, but "
"Then how did I know you were: here?"
'" asked you that!"
"'Illen r guess we've come full circle," she said, "Sit down; [
brought lunch."
At the word "'unch," I obeyed promptly, sitcing on a thick
arpct of damp lcaves in the :;Ilaclc of a trc:c:. My smmach growled
as she: offered me: sumptuous yams [he best I'd ever lasted specially prepared rice. and an :usorrment of crisp vegcmbles. I
don't know how she got it all into her backpack.
The conversation died while we concentrated on eating;
finally, between bites, I said, ~Tl!ank.s . You r(ally know how to
cook. ~
"I didn't make it," she said. "Sachi did."
"Sachiko~ Who taught her [0 cook like thad" I asked.
"Her father."
"She's quite a talent. Her parentS must be proud of her."
"They are more thn proud of her. " Mama Chia put down her
food and gazed past the clearing into the thick emerald forest. ~Let
me tell you a {rue nory: Nine years ago. I helped bring Sachi into
the world. When she was four, I also welcomed her little brother.

Barefoot on 0 forell
Polh
53
"Soon after her brother was born, Iiule Saehi ixt,oan [0 ask her
parents to leave her alone with ,he new baby. T hey worried that,
like most four-year olds, she might fed jealous and want to hit or
shake him, so they said no. But she showed no s.igns of jealousy at
all; she HC".ned the baby with kindness - and her pleru; to be: left
alone with hilll heelme 1Il0re urgent. The)' decided to allow it.
"Elated, she went into the baby's room and shU( the door, but
it opened a crack - enough for her curious parents to peek in and
listen. They s:lW little Sac),i walk quielly up 10 her baby hrOlhu.
put her rncc close to his, and So1y quietly, 'Baby, ,dl me whal God
feds like. I'm starting [0 forger.'"
~She $;lid that l" I asked. in awe.
"V
JCs. "
After a long pause, I remarked. "I a n undemand why she's
. "
your apprentice.
We S:lt in silence a while, in the shade of a Iree, until Mama
Chh said, ~Tomorrow we go for a hike."
"logerher?" 1 asked.
"No," she tc:ased. ~You'll take the high road, and I'll rake the
low road."
1 $ liIl didn't know M;lllla Chia \'cry wcll, ami it was sometimes
hard to lell whether sllc W:IS joking. Seeing my confusion, Mama
Chia laughed, and said, ~ yc:s. we']] hike together."
I had a f('('ling dljn &~ wcre: ~ bolll 10 pi<: k up. Tlu: n I looked
down at my worn trunks, and bare feet and chc:~ t. I looked up at
her and explained, ~I don', know if 1 c.1n hike far without - "
Smiling. she pointed behind me. "Look behind the tl'."
"My backpack!" I cried. amazed. Iu she grinned. I ran over to
it and looked inside. My wallct - with a fC'\v dollan; cash and
credit card - my watch, a dean pair of shorts. my sneakers.
lootbbrush, and razor - cverydling was there,

5.
DAN MIllMAN
WSachi's f:uher was working on a carpentry job on Oahu." she
explained. "I scnt him to Mak.1puu Poinr to find your things. He
said you'd hidden them well."
-When an I meet him and thank him?" I :uked.
"He's looking forward to meeting you,
100,
bllt he had
10
go
back to Oahu to finish the jobi he'll return in a rew weeks, I'm
glad you have new shorts," she added, holding her nose with one
hand and pointing to my ragged mmks with the other, "so you
can wash those,"
Smiling, 1 took her hand. "Thank you, Mama Chiao I'm really
grateful for all you've done."
"Yes, I've certainly done a 101," she said, brushing ofT my
thanks wilh a wave of her hand. "Have you heard about the
n~
breed of dog that's a cross between a pit bull and a collie? First it
takes your arm off, men it runs for hdp." She smiled. "I've already
done enough damage; Ihis is my way of'running for help,'"
Packing th~ remains of ollr lunch, sh~ uood. I started to
stand, too, but I was so w~ 1 could barely get up. "I feel like such
a wimp: I .s:tid :IS she walked me b<lck into the cabin.
"Your muscles only feci weak because: your body is using the
en~rgy to hoi the rest of you. You've been through a great dol; most
people would h:l.V<! given up :l.nd died. Your Basic Selfis very strong."
MMy b:lSic wha[~n I asked, puzzled, :lS I sat down on the b~,
"Your Basic Self," M.ama Chia replied. ''A pan of who you are
an awareness separate from your conscious mind, Didn't
Socrates teach you about the three selves~"
"No," J tc:plied, intrigued, "But it sounds like all interesting
concept."
Mama Chia stood, walked to the window, and gazed outside.
"The three selves arC' much more than a concept, Dan; they are as
real to me as the eanh, the tfees, the sky. and the sea...
Mama Chia sat ~gain!lf the windowsill and said, "A few hundred

Bar.foot on a For.st Path

ss
yeus ago, before the invention of the microsco~, almost no one
believed in the existence ofb:lcteri:t :lnd viruses, and so, hum:tniry
remained powerless before these: unseen invaden. Those who did
believe in their existence were labeled 'crackpots.'
"I, too, work with elements invisible [0 most people - with
nature spirits and subtle energies. But 'invisible' is nOt the same as
imaGinary. Dan. E:tch new gener:ttion forgets [his. :!.nd so the cycle
repeilts itself - the blind 1C:.l.d1ng the blind," she said without :t
trace of rancor. "Ignor:lnce, as weU as wisdom. is h:tnded down
from one generation to the next like:!. predous heirloom.
"The three: selves - the Basic Self, Conscious Self. :tnd
Higher Self-are p:tn of a secret te:lehing. The secrets have never
been hidden, rea.lly, but few people arc interested. and fewer still
have the eyes to see,"
She p:tced, in her limping style, across the room to the door
way, and rurned b:!.ck toward me. "When 1 speak to you of'invisible things,' kno
w th:!.t thry au not inlliIibk to m~. But wh:!.t is nue
for me does not h:tve to be: true for you; I'm not telling you wh:lt
to believe - only sh:uing: my experien ce.~ She poured a glass of
water and handed it to me. "When you're strong enough - if
Socr:a:tes has prepued you well - I'll be able to take you to the
edge. :tnd point the way; all you'll have to do is open your eyes :tnd
leap." She walked to the door and said, "Now rest,"
"Wait," I said, sitting up. "Before you go, can you tell me a
little more about the three selves? I'd like to hear more - "
"And there's more: I'd like to tell you," she interrupted. "But
first you need to sleep."
"I am tired," I u.id, yawning.
"Yes. Tomorrow we'll walk. and tomorrow we'IIIa1k. ~ Through
the open doorway. I watched her swinging her cane and limping
b:!.ck into the forest. I yawned again. then my eycs shut and the
world went black,

Mulc r i~ 1
plolcj]ido l]Or dorCI;tros do
~utr

Illuminations
The rcol voyage 01 diKovery
con~i ~~
not In 5eOki~ now Ionc!5cop8s,
but in
having new eyes.
- Mortel Prout!

Mulc r i~ 1
plolcj]ido l]Or dorCI;tros do
~utr

The Three Selves

You conno! honSCMd who t you do not know.
To go beyond YOlmelf, you mU51 know you r~ o l l.
- Sri Nisorgodalta Mohoroi
seemed sweeter and the world
morc: be;J.uriful. My strength was remrning; only a few scabs
remained. Running my hand across my two-week growth of
THE NEXT DAY, THE BIRDS' SONG
beard. I decided I would keep it for now.
After filling up on tropical fruit and homc:bakcd bread thar
had mysteriously appeared on my chest of drawers - anmhcf gift
from Sachi. I guessed I mpptti outside, srripp<=d naked. :md
showered in a warm, dre nching downpour. The min p.u.:d as
quickly as it had come, leaving cl~r, sunny skies.
I h:ld just finished. combing my wet hair :lnd smoothing on a
thick layer of sunscreen when M:l.ma Chia came limping down the
palh with her bmiliar backpack, cane. and a large muumuu dress
- her typical hiking outfit, J learned.
After a brief greeting. she led me down a narrow. winding
pa[h [award dle sea. As she lumbe ~d along the slippery t",il , a few
59

60
DAN MILLMAN
feet ahead of me, I could see it w.lsn't easy for hu to get around
and was struck by her determination.
She SlOpped a few times once,
10
point out a colorful bird,
another lime to show me::l small w;ucrfull and pond, hidden from
the casual eye. After we 531 a while, listening 10 the so llnds of
mller falling into a pond. loITered to carry her backpack for her,
but she refused, saying. "Maybe next Ijme.~
Convcl"$:I(ion was sparse after ,hat. We both h3d to concen[[ate on our fooring along me perennially muddy trail. crisscrossed by trtc roots.
Finally. we made: our way down a steep ravine: and emerged
inlO a small s:lIIdy dearing, one of the few beach al'C3.s among I he
rocky cliffs. On either side of us, hI.va rock shot maight up inlo
dIe: sky to form the towering cliffs.
Mama Chia took a light blanket out of her pack and spread ir
on Ih~ beach. The ride had JUSt gone our, leaving the s:lnd smooth,
hard, and wei. The relaxing sea breeze felt good on my face and
chesi.
"Mama Chia," 1 asked, "maybe iI's my imagination, bur I've
only been here ahoU( len clays - is Ihat righl?M
"'.
uAnd didn't I nearly die of o:posure and thirsr?M
'V
"
"v-h
'
U:5. s e :ln ~wered
:11.':1111.
"Well. aren'l I hc:aling awfully fast?"
She nodded. "I've heen working with you :u night."
"What do )'OtL mean?"
"When you sleep, your ConsciOlls Self sleps back; Ih:ll'S wh en
I can work directly wilh Ihe Basic Self - your subconsciow which is in charge of
healing your bOlly."
"You were going ro tell me more aboul this 'Basic Self. ..
Mama Chia st:lred at me, :IS if considering somelhing. Then

The Three Selve$

61
she picked Up:l. nc:arby twig :and drew:l. circle in the $3nd. "Bettcr
to show than (ell," she: said, scratching the figure of a human body
within the circle, his arms ouulrclched - a crude rendition of
Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing.
Without further comment, she sat down on a mound of sand,
crossed her legs, and said, "I nc:c:d co do some: inner work to
recharge my batteries. Unless you've learned to do the same, I sug
gcsI you take a nap. Perhaps later we can talk. ~
"But _ n
With one breath, Mama Chia seemed instantly to go into a
deep trance. I watched her for a few moments, then my:mention
turned once again to her drawing in the $3nd. Feeling suddenly
drowsy on this sullry day, glad for the shade of the sheltering cliff's,
I stretched OUI on the blanket and closed my eyes.
My thoughts IUmed to my wife and daughter, back in Ohio
- lightycars away, it seemed, from this hidden cove, where I
rested a few fcct away from a woman shaman whose full powers
were yet to be reve:l!cd, :md whose existenee had ~en unknown
to me a few weeks before. And I had found her, against all odds,
against ;ll hope.
Life is amazing, I thought. And the next moment, I fell head
long into a dreamlike vision.
I WAS ASLEEP, YET WIDE AWAKE. Mama Chia's smi ling faee flashed
before me, then vanished. In the blacknCS5 that followed, a human
form appeared: a man's body within a circle, his arms outstretched
- not the figure Mama Chia had sketched in the sand, but a vivid
im:l.gc of da Vinci's original.
Then, in the blink of an eye, I saw my own body appear
within the circle, and it started spinning, cartwhc:c:ling through
space.

62
DAN MillMAN
From my point of aW:lrcncss, I saw my physic:.l form come to
rest, standing upright in a forest. under a starry sk-y. Illuminated
by the pale: moon. clothed only in a pair or shortS, the figure stood
with arms optn wide. a.~ if to embrace life itself, with head tilting
slightly up and to the left, gazing up through the trees at the stars
sparkling in the black velvet sky. I could scc all thi.~ in the: sharpest
detail - every moon shadow on every leaf.
nll:n, three slowing lights appeared within and around the:
body. separate and distinct from the: body's aura'! or energy fields.
First. my :mcmion rested on an earthly reddish glow illumin::Hing
the belly region. I recognized this instantly as the Basic Self.
My attention shif[(~d to the head. where the white light (If
awareness filled the Conscious Self. shining so brightly that the
head disappeared.
Then my awucness rose above the head, where I began to sec
a swirl of radi::uu. iridescent colors, ...
Suddenly. everything tilted er:t1.ily. and thunder exploded in
the distance. Flashe5 oflightning ripped the sky. The wind wailcd,
and trees a nle crashing down. Then the physiC:l1form in front of
me split into three separau: beings.
The Higher Self. which I had only begun to sec in the blaze
of radiant color, V:J.nishcd. The twO beings that rcmained changed
into distinct phy~ ical form s. The Basic Self now appeared as a
child, surrounded by a reddish glow. It quailed and shrank back as
the next fl ash of lightning lit iu face, revealing primal fear.
The Conscious Self took rhe form of a gray robot, whose
computcri1.Cd head glowed with electricity; it ..... hirred and clicked,
then looked up stimy at the sky. expressionless. as if sordng infornlation and w
eighing the best course of 3Ct;on.
With the next crack of thunder, me child bolted, and ran
instinctively for [he cover of a hollow tl'>C>C. I found myself following

The Three S,lves

63
it, and watched as it huddled mere. Thc child seemed shy, and didn't
speak. As 1 gazed at it, I felt myself dr.lwlI deeper imo its glow.
In a microsecond. my consciousness had merged with that of
the child, I saw life through its eyes, and ~pe rien ced all its emotions. Confu
sed by myriad images of paS[ storms and associ:Hions
going back lifetimes, I huddled instinctively as fearful picturesa patchwork of
genetic memories - nashcd through my childlike
awareness. What I lacked in clear logic, I improvised with primal
instinct. I feI! a vast storehouse of viml energyi my emotions were
wide open, amplified. Motivated by a primitive impulse to sur
vive, ro seek pleasure and avoid pain . I felt more inclined to act
than contemplate_ My inner world was umamed, unrefined by
culture, rules, or logic. In my wildness and fl eshiness. I was energy
in motion - closely ti.l to the natur:U world, completely at
home in the body. with its feelings and impulses.
I had little means to perceive refined beauty or higher faith; I
knew only good feelings and bad feelings, Right now, I fdt a compelling need for
guidance. for someone to imerpret for mc. to reassure and direct me. I needed t
he Conscious Self.
JW[ then. having devised its phln, the robot-computer also
entered the hollow tree, Bm it ignored me. the child, almost completdy. as iff d
idn't m:m er. Resentful and feel ing unapprtCiau:d. I
nudged it to get its attention. Why didn't it listen to me? After all,
I'd found shelter first. It still ignored me; I pushed it and slapped
it. with no better results. Furious, I ran outSide:, gOt a rock, and
smashed it into the robot's leg. Th:1t gOt itt attention.
"Whu - do - you - want?" it asked in a monotone.
"Listen to me!" I cried.
In the next instant. my consciousncss left the child and
merged with the robot-computer. I looked through the eyes of this
reasoning machine, and uw the world with objectivity and icy

DAN MILLMAN
c:llm. The child [ had been now appeared as a distraction. I formulated, a solut
ion to appease it.
JuS[ rnen. tne sto rm passed. and tne child ran outside to play.
I set this problem aside and walked stimy into [ne forest.
Umroubled by emotions or sentiment. my world was orderly.
structured. and terribly limited. I saw the forest in shades of gray.
Beauty to me was a definition. a category. I knew lIothing of tile
Higher Self, or faith . I sought wh:u was useful and constructive.
The body to me was a necess,1ty burden. a machine that enabled
me to mo\'( :lnd reproduct - a tool of the mind.
S:afe within the compute:r mind. I was immune to rhe vag.1ries
of emotion. And yet, withom the pl:tyful spirit, the emotional
I!nergy. :alld the vitality of the child. r didn't rl!:ally Ih'c; r only
existed in :I sterile world of prohlems and solutions.
My awareness awoke, as iffrom a dream . and feeling a sudden
:lnd oVf!rwhelming urge to fed the fotl:S( alice 3g:lin. to expcril!nce
the risillg energies of life. I broke free of the Conscious Self.
From my new V:lnt:lge point. I saw both the Conscious Self
and the Basic Self with their backs 10 each other. in their own
worlds. If only they were together. how much richer both their
lives would be.
I appreci:ltcd the childlikl! innocence and instinctive body
wisdom of the Basic Self; I valued the reason, logic. :lnd learning
abilicies of the robot-computer, thl! Conscious Self. But withom
the inspiration of the Higher Self, life felt insipid. shallow. and
incomplete.
As I rc3lizcd this. I heard the Higher Self caUing me fro m
somewhere in the fo rcst. and I felt an intense longi ng to merge
with ir. I recognized this longing as one I h:ad fclt for many years,
perhaps my whole life. For the first time, I knew wlm I had been
searching for.
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

The Three Selve,

65
Moments later, I was captured by the Conscious Self :again,
Trapped within its steel mind, I heard its droning voice, slow at
first, then morc: I':lpidly pJ:aying again and again: "I - am - all
- there - is. The - Higher - Self-;, - '" - illusion."
My awareness snapped back into the childlike Basic Sdf oncc
:again, Now alii wanted to do W:lS play, and fed good, and powerful. and secure:
.
Again, I snapped back into the Conscious Self and saw one
reality - then rebounded back into the Basic Sdf and felt
another. Faster and faster, I bounced back and fOrlh between
Conscious Self and Basic Self, mind and body. robot and child,
thinking and feeling, logic :and impulse. Faster and f:lSter,
I SAT UP, STARING INTO SPACE - terrified, sweating, crying out
softly. TIlen, gl':ldually, I became aware of my surroundings: the
sheltered ocean cove, the warm beach, :II sky fum ing pink and
purple above a calm sea. And ncarby sat Mama Chia, unmoving,
g:azmg at me.
Shaking off the remnants of this vision, I tried to slow my
b~thing and relax. I m:tnagcd to explain. "r - I had a bad
dre:am."
She spoke slowly and deliberately: "Was it :a bad dream, or a
mirror of your IifdM( don't know what yGU mc:!n," I nid. RUT I wa.~ lying: I kne
w
[his ::u soon as the words were out of my mouth, With my newfound awareness of t
he three sch'es, 1 could no longer mainrain the
pretense: of being "together," I w:u a self divided, wavering
between the self-ccmcrtd, childlike needs of the Basic Self, and the
cold detachment of the Conscious Self - ou( of touch with my
Higher Sci[
These: past years, my mind had constantly smothered my

66
DAN MillMAN
frelings; it had ignored and devalu~ them. R:uher than acknowledge the pain and
passion I felt, my Conscious Selfhad maintained
control and swept my feelings. and my relationships. under the rug.
I now underuood that the physical symptoms I had experienced back home - the inf
ections, the: aches, :md [he pains had been my Basic Self. crying for attention
like a young child ; it
w:mted me to express all the feelings inside. Suddenly I understood the aphorism
~Thc o rgans weep the tc:lrs the eres refuse to
shed." And something Wilhelm Reich had once said came inlO my
mind: ~Unexp rcsscd ell1otion is stored in the muscles of the body."
These troubling revelations depressed and disheartened me. I saw
how fu r I still had to go.
"Are you all right?~ Mama Chia asked.
"Sure. I'm okay," J stllrted to answer, then stopped mysdf.
MNo. I don't fed all right. I fed drained and depressed."
"Good," she $.:lid, be.1m ing. "You've I ~'rned something. Now
you're back on Ihe right track."
Nodding, 1 asked, "In the dream, I only experienced (\','0 of
the selves. My Higher Self vanished. Why did it leave me?"
~ lt didn't leave you, Dan - il was there all Ihe time - bUt
you were so preoccupied with your B:1Sic Self and your Conscious
Self that you couldn't see it, or fed its love and support."
"Well, how can I feel il? Where do I go from here?n
wA good question _ a very good question," she said, laughing
to herself:15 she srood. Then she slipped hcr pack over hcr shaul
ders. and started slowly up the rocky trail. Still full of unanswered
questions, I followed.
The sand lurned 10 stones and eanh as we climbed up a sleep
p3eh :uong the cliff face. I turned and looked back at the cove,
slightly below us. The dde was coming in. 'I,vcnty yards away. a
wave rwhed up d ose to the figure M3rn:l Chia had drnwn in rhe

The Three Se l ves

67
sand. I blinked and looked again. Where the figure and circle had
been, I thought I saw three figures - a sm.. 11 body, like that of
a child; a square. boxlike figure; and a large oval - just before a
w:1.ve rushed pasr, washing rhe sand cle:ln.
'11<: climb up was more difficult than the hike down. Mama
Chia seemed in high spirits. but my mood was glum. Neither of
us spoke. An array of imagc..'S from the vision pasSt:d through 111)'
mind as I followed her up the path into the darkening forest.
By the time we entered the clearing. the half-moon had
neared its zenith. Mama Chia bade me good night and continued
up the path.
I stood outside the cabin for a few moments, listening to the
crickers' song. The w.:um night bree'/.!! sec:nu."<i TO pau right
through me. I didn't realize how fatigued I fdt until I entered the
cabin. I vaguely remember visiting the bathroom, then fulling
onto the bed . I heard the crickets a moment more. then silence.
That night. in a dream. I searched for my Higher Self, but found
only emptiness.
Mal ial p'o~ido por dctOChOS de ~"!Ot

Eyes of the Shaman

A g reat rea cher never ~tri ves to ex pla in her vl$i o n:
sho simply Invi te s yo u 10 stand be side he r a nd see lo r yo ursolf.
- Tho Rov. R. Inman
NOT YET PULLY AWAKII in
mo ~
ways ti1:)." one, I concluded1 opened my eyes and saw Mama Chi:!. m.nding by my bedside. At
first I thought 1 was sTili dreaming. bur I Qmc back TO c3rrh
quickly when she yelled. "OUt of bed!" 1 jumped up so f:..sr I
nearly fell over.
"I'll vowing
(0
I'll be ready in
milllllc," I slurred, Sl it! groggy.
:l
get up before she arrived nexe dme. I stumbled into
the bathroom. slipped into my shorts, and stepped outside into a
rainsqualJ for my mo rning shower.
Dripping wet, I stepped back inside and grabbed a towel. .. It
muS[ be nearly noon."
"JUSt
after cleven." she said.
"Whoa, 1"
68

Eyes 01 the Shomon

69
"On Thursday," she interruptro, ~you've been out cold for
thiny-six hours."
I nearly dropped che towel. ~A lmosc two daJl~~ I sat down
heavily on che bed,
"You look upset. Did you miss:m appointmenl?" she 3liked.
"No, I guess not," I lookro up at hcr, "Did I?"
"Not with me, you didn't; besides, appointmenu arc not
native to Hawaii," Shc explained. "Mainlanders tried to import
them, but it's like trying (0 sdl beef to vegetarians, You feeling
beuer?~
"Much better," I answered. toweling off my hair. ~BU[ I'm not
exactly surc wh:u I'm supposed 10 be doi"K here or wil:u you're
supposed 10 help me with. Arc )'ou going to help me See my
Higher Self?
"That remains to be seen," she answer~. smiling at her play
on words, and handing me my shirt.
"Mama Chia," I said, putting on the shirt, "those things I saw
- that vision on the beach - did you hypnoti:t'c mc?"
"Not exactly. What you saw came from the Inncr Records."
"What are they?"
"That's not easy to describe. You can call it the 'uni\'crsai
unconscious,' or the 'journal of Spirit.' Everything is written
there."
"wrything'"
"Yes," she replied. "Everything."
"Can you ... read these records?"
"Sometimes - it depends."
"Well. how did I read chern?"
"Let's JUSt say I turned the pages for you."
"Like a mother reading to her child?"
"Somcthing like that."

70
DAN MillMAN
The rai n S[opped, so she stepped outside. I followed her
to 3. log near the shed and sal down. dMama Chia," r said,
"I need to talk with you about something that's really starring
to bother me. h seems like rhe more I learn, rhe worse it gelS.
You scc - "
She interrupted me. "JUSt h:tndle what's in front of you now.
and the futu~ will rake care of itself. Otherwise, you'll s~nd most
of your life wondering which foot you'll use to SIC:p ofT the curb
when you're nill only halfway to the corner."
"What :lbour planning ahead, and preparing for the (uwrd"
"Plans :m: useful, bur don't get anachcd to them; life h:L'i tOO
many surprises. i>repar:Hion, on the other hand, Il:t.S value. evcn if
the future you planned never comes."
~1'l ow'5 thar?~
She paused before answering. "An old friend of mine here on
th~ island, Sci Fujimoto - you haven't met him yet - h::lS
worked ::IS a gardener and handyman man of his life. But photography w:u his fir
st love. I neyer saw a man so pa.nion:ue about
im3ges on p3per. Yem ago. he would spcnd most of hi s d3YS
searching for the perfect shot. Fuji especially loyed J,tndscapes:
the shapes of tlttS, wayes breaking with the sun shining through
them. and clouds by me light of the moon, or the morning sun.
Wh~n he wasn't taking pictures, he W::IS developing then} in his
own darkroom at home.
"Fuji prncdccd photogr:lphy for nearly thirty years. accumulating in molt tillle
a treasury ofinspired phmogrnphs. He kept the
negatives in a locked file in his office. He sold some pho[(l$, and
ga.ve others to friends.
~Then. about six years ago, :I fire desuoyed all the photo
graphs he had [;Iken oyer those thir(}' years, and all rhe neg:ttiycs.
::IS well ::IS most of his equipment. He had no fire insurance - all

Eyt$ of tho Shomon

71
the evidence and fruits of a gcner:Hion of creative work - a wta1
anu irreplaceable loss.
"Fuji mourned this as he might mourn the Joss of a child.
Thr(.'1: yc.us before, he krd lost a child, and he undmtood very
well th:lt suffering was a relative Ihing, and Ulat if he could make
it through his child's death, he could make it through anYlhing.
"But more than th:\I, he understood Ihe bisger picture. and
came 10 a growing realiution Ih:lt something of greal value
remained that w:lS never couched by the firc: I-iifi "lId Itlmltd to
Itt lifl;1I a diffmnt way. Every day, when he got up, he saw a world
oflighl and shadow, shapes and teXlures - a world ofbeaury and
harmony and balance.
"When he shared this insight with me, D:ln. he was so happy!
His realization mirrors that of the Zen masters who share with
their studenlS that all puhs, all activities - professions, sports,
arts, crafts - serve as a means ofimern:ll development. merely a
boat to get across the river. Once you gCI across, you no longer
nttd Ihe boat." Mama Chia took a deep breath and smiled
serenely :II me.
"I'd like 10 meet Sci Fujimow. n
"And you will," she assured me.
"I jUst remembered something SOCI",I.tC5 once wid me: 'h's not
Ihe way to (he peaceful warrior; it's the way o/thc peaceful warrior.
TIlt jOlmlty itst/fmllttJ tilt w(/"ior. '"
"Socrates always had a way with words," sne said. Then she
sighed wistfully. "You know ... he and I were once lovers."
"Whar? When? How? What happened?"
'Everything ... and nothing happened." she said. "We wefe
together for a time. I believe it was healing for him, aftcr ... we
won't speak of dial - you'll have 10 ask him. In any case, he was
called elsewhere. And so was r. So we never - well. that was a

DAN MILlMA N
72
long l i nl~ ago.
Yt:l r.!
l:ller, I mar ried my
Johnson. He W,tS ~ spc:ci:tl JII:U1, (00 la IC:
Imsballu, Bradrord
bu t lIlore cOl\vcn Lionai n or like Socr:lIc$... .~
~\'(/i ll
you tell m e morc," I said,
~~bour
when you mer
Socmtcs, and abo ut hi s Jife? W]"H was his rCl l name? Surdy nor
everyone called him 'Socrates.'''
A wisdill sillilc ~prcarcd
(> 11
Ma ma C h ia'.~ face. ~[ may tel l
,I
few stor ies abOUT my life so me OT her time. Bur it's for ... Soer,lres
10 sh are the rest. I expect Ihat he' ll leI YOIi know ill his own way,
in h is own lime. But right now, I have o l lu~r busint'ss, :lIId rou
need m orc lim e to consider what you've [culled, before - " she
stopped herself. ~ Ikro rc wh.\{ will come."
~ I 'm rc~dy
Ma m 3
anytime."
Cilia Slared at me
~ mo mc: nt but $;lid no thin g.
She
rCJ chcd inlll her pac k ~fld IIlssed me ~ sm~1I package o f
rmlcadamia mus. "Sec yo u tomo rrow." \X'ith that, shc lefr.
I
D ID !,[lE t STRONC[l Il.,

b u t despite my bnavoJo, I wasn't really

rc;rdy for anything rigorous. I spc nt thc rcst of the morni ng in ;r
restful reveri~ siuillg an d gazi ng ;\I the trees surro und ing my
h ome here on M o lobi. A troubling feeli ng WO$ growing inside
me, bill I didn'r have worlls (or it yet. Preoccup ied, I h;mlly
tasted the small ch unks of bread, the nucadamia nuts, o r the
fruit I con.mmed.
As tlu: afternoon su n touched the tips of the: trce~ nt the edge
of the clearing, I rea lized I was loncly. Srmnge, I reflecled, J used
[(I
li ke being al()ne. I had chosen 5\l lituJe fo r most o( my wllege
years. But after floating out on that surfboard when I thought
I miglll never see anot her human being ;rgain .;:hanged. And now s()m eth ing
My thoughts were interrupted by a bright "Hi!" off to my left.
Snchi hoppe,l,
.~kippcd ,
nud danced toward
IIlC .
Her jet bb ck hai r,

73
Eye, 'If th, Sh o lTlQ II
CUI shurt like M3ll1 a C hi~'s , h() unced a mi swirled wilh e;lch mul'(:*
melll. JLllll ping fro lll <I. stune tu :1lug, she ski pped uver :l.uJ set duwII
:\ sml ll p~cbg~. "I brought some more br~l d - mad ~ it m ysclf.~
"T ha nk you, Sachi. T hat w,u ve ry thoughtfu l."
"No, it was n't," she replied. "I d idn't thi nk much
~t
al l.
How're yo u feeli ng?"
"Much hell er, no w Ih:l! Y(lu've drop ped in. I've hee n alo lle ~o
mueh I was smrting
(0
talk to mysel f."
" I do t h:11 so melimes," she ~a id .
"\Vell, then, now th ut yo u're here, we Cl il sit nne! both talk to
o ursc:!vcs - no, wait," I teased. ml hlvc an idca: \Vhy do n't wc sit
here and t~ l k to c;\ch other?"
She smiled at my corny a.ttemp t at h umor. "Sou nds ob)'.
Want \() ~ee t he frug po nd?"
"Sur.;. ~
" It'.~
not
tar. Follo w me," she $lid, scam pering into the forest.
Doing Illy best to keep up, I saw her up ahead, ap pea rin g ;md
d isl ppc:arin g abo llt
Il:'n
Yl rds aWl)', dod ging arollnd trees. By the
tillle I ca ught up wi t h her, she was sitting on l I:trge rock, poin t*
ing to l couple of frogs. Om: graced us wi rh ;t IOll d croa k.
"You weren't kidding, gi rl; these arc sO rlie great fro gs.~
"Th;II 's the (1l1ee l1 <l\'er d \ ~'re," she ~ (li (1. MAnd [ call th is (l ne
here 'Grumpy' because he always ho ps away when I pet him."
S:tchi read Ied slowly dow n and StrOked o ne of Ihe frogs. "My
bro ther likes 10 feed 'elll, bU I I do u't like squishy bugs _ used to,
hut nor a nYOlo re." Then. like l li ttle
woo d ~
spri te. 511(: bounded
off, b:\ck wwu d t he c~h i ll , I 5:1id a ~ i l e nt good- bye to Gru mpy,
and wllked aft er her. As ( left, I he!lrd :l loud "G rr ru mph ." I
t u rn~ d

to sec the warer sp l;\ ~ h :is the frog dO\'e unde r,

Back in the d e::trin g. Sachi w~ s pucti(;ing some: dan(;e steps,
"Maml Chia showed me this," she s~id. MS hc teaches me a 10, of
thi ngs."

DAN MILlMAN
" I het s li ( Joes," I T(plied. T Ii(1I I h ~J 3n iU(3. "Mayl;.e I (uulJ
It:lc h you somtdling,
lOO.
c',n yo u JO:I
c:l. nw l \(:d~"
"Sort of." shc replied. throw ing her arms down and legs up. " I
bet [ look like o ne of those fro &." she giggled . " Ca n you $how me
one.>"
I used 10 l;.e prelly guo(1 al ii," [ said, doing a
()l\t:arm canwiu:d uver d\O:: log.
"I gucs.s su "Wow!" she said , im pre$Sed. "That was smoo th." Inspired, she
t rid ,lg,lin, improving slightly.
"Here, Sachi, let me show yo u aga in," [ said.
The reH or th e afternoo n pa5.1ld gu iekly. Ami Saehi learned :1
graceful c:mwhcd.
I spotted a bright fed flower growing neHby, and on impu lse
I pi cked it and pb(eJ it ill her hair. "You kllow, I hOI'e ~ (bughler
named Holly came by
"Me,
yo unger
..,'
than you I miss he r. I'm glad
YO li
10 l'iSH.
100,"
she replied. Touching th e fl ower, S:l.chi graced me
w ith th e sweetest 5mile. "Wdl, [ go m go. Than b fOI' showing me a
H
cartwheel. She ran up the tr:li!, then turned :\ lId c:llled baek to me,
"Don't forget yo ur bre1d!"
Her smi le made Illy day.
\Vhen Ma01 :1. Chia arrived the next morn ing, I was ready and
waiting, lossing pebhle-s at a tree. "\'(I~nt ~O lllC fresh bre ~d~" [s~id .
~I already ate, bu t if ),o u're hun gry
"I'm fine ," she said . ~Ld$ ger moving. \'ile have miles to cOlier

by .m lld(lwu."
"Where are we go i l1g~" [ n5kcd as we lefr the cJbin and headed
III' the palh.
"That way." She poinred up to Ihe- central rallg.: of ridges
ro rm ed orblack bva rock, ~e\lera l thousa nd feCI above us. Handing
me her back pKk, she ~aid, .~imply, "You're .q rong e-no\1gh now to
carr)" rhis, ~

EYI$ of tho Shomon

75
We hiked slowly upward along :m ever-steepening Hail, with
many turns and switchbacks. Mama Chia W:llkc:d stt:ldJly upward.
The forcst was silent, except for the cry of an occasional bird, and
my rhythmic tread, beating a (ollntertempo to ber swinging cane
and limping gait.
She StOPped every now and then to admire a colorfu l bird or
to point out an unusual tree or small waterr.'I.11.
By late morning, my conce:rns be:gan rising to the: surface:, and
I c:l.lIed to her. "Mama Chi:l, Socrate.~ once told me I haven't really
learned something until I could do it.
She stopped, turned to me:, and nodded, saying, "The:re:'s a
prove:rb: 'I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I
understand.' ..
"Th:n's jun it,H I confessed. "I've heard about and seen a lot
of things, but I haven't really dOIl~ anything. "ye learned a little
about healing, but can J heaH I know about the Higher Self. but I
cm't fe:eI it."
My words finally spilled OUt in sudden frustration . ~ I was a
world champion gymnast; I graduated from the University of
California; I h:lve:l buutiful daughte:r. I t:lke care of myself, cat
right, do Ihe right thing. ]'m a roll~gr profiuor for God's $:Ikeso why do I fee
l like I've done nothing? I have this sense that
there's something else I'm supposed to be doing. It drive.~ me
crazy. And even after my training with Socrates, my life feds
like iI's falling apart . I used (0 believe that if I [earned enough.
if I m:lde all the right moves, that life was going (0 get easier,
mor~ under COnt(Ol, bur now it only feels worse - like something slipping away a
nd I don'r know how to stOP it. h's like 1
gor lost along Ihe way. I know Ihere are peoplc a [01 worse off
tllan I am. I'm nOI being victimized by anyone: I'm not living
in poveny or hunger or oppression. I guess ir sounds like J'm
H

76
DAN MILLMAN
whining or complaining. bur I'm not feeling ~orry for myselfI juSt want l! to St
Op.~
I looked InlO her eyes and [Old her.
~I
once: broke my leg
pKtty b:tdly - my thigh bone W::lS shattered in about forty pieces
- so I know what pain feels like. And this feels ju.u as real to me.
Do you undcr1itand ~"
She: noddi in a way that showed 5hc undctslooa. "Pain and
suffering are a part of everyone's life. They just take different
fornu."
"Do you believe: you enn help me: find whatever it is J'm look~
ing for?" I a.sked. an edge: of despcr:uion in my voice.
"If I didn't believe I could help. we wouldn't be here," she
answered before: turning and cominuing her stead)', limping sait
up the: trail.
As WE ROSE ur OUT OF THE FORI!ST, the trees minncd Ouf; dl(: moss
and leaves beneuh our feet gave way to raJdish bmwn earth, which
turned to mud as a torrential rain came and passed quickly. I sliprW
now and then. Mama Chia, Ihough slow paced, W:lS su~fooled.
Fm:t11y. jwc when I thought she had forgotten my plea, she spoke.
~Dan, have you ever considered that no on, person could ever
create a building? No matter how smart, how strong, a single individu:t1 nlay be
, he can't make a building wilhout Ihe combined
efforts of :uchiICCt5, contracIOI1i, laboref$, accountants, manur."lcruCCf$, tru
ckef$, chemists. and hundreds more. No one is sma.ner
than all of us."
~But what does that have to do with - ..
~r'Or example. take Socrntcs," she continued. ~He po.ssc:sses ma.ny
talents, but he understood that he couid nOI force-feed your psyche.
He could only teadl you what you had CU'S to hear or eyes to sec.
"When Soer:l(es wrote 10 me, he predicted to me that you'd be


Eyel 01 the S haman
n
hard on yourself - that you got excitable - and thaI now and
then I might havc to ca.lm you down.~ She turned back, smilin!;.
before she continued her slow climb. "He also [old of the seeds he
had sown within your mind and hearl, I'm here to nourish them
to help them quicken and grow.
"Socr,ucs helped you dear away some of your deepest illusions. He could not awak
en you - ),ou weren't yet rC:ldy - but
he did make you aware that you were sleeping. and revealed 10 you
an array of possibilities, .. preview of coming anr:l.crion$. He established a f
oundation so that now, even if yo u Cl ll'[ always hear,
you're at lea'll willing to listen. Ifhe hadn't done his work well, you
would never h:\Vc found mc. ~
"But I didn't find you. You found me."
"No maner how strange the circumstances of
OUf
meeting, 1 don't believe it would have happened had you not
been ready. That's how these things work. 1 might not have chosen to work wIth y
ou; you nlight not have come to the p:my.
Who can say?"
We 'topped briefly to survey the view as we entered the highlands, not far from
the base of the rocky peak. Green treetops
stretched almost as f.1T as I could see. The moist, humid air dampened my arms a
nd fort:he:td . As J wiped tht: moisrure from my
brow, Mama Chia put Iler arm on my shoulder and said, "In an}'
event, here we are - and we're all in training together, I c.,n help
you turn your experience into lessons, and your lessons into wisdom, For now, I
can only encourage you to trust the pmces.s of
your life, and to remember the law of F.iith ......
"Like believing in God?" ) asked.
"F:lith h:u little to do with belief," she answered. "Faith is the
courage to live your life :l.'l if everything that happens docs so for
your highest good and lellrning. Like it or 110t."

76
DAN MillMAN
She: nopped, and knelt down next to a yellow flower, growing
up through a small crack in 3. large stone. MO ur lives are like: Ihi ~
flower. We appear so fragile. and yet, when we mect obstacles. we
push through them, always growing coward the Light."
1 touched the yellow petals. MBut flowers grow slowly. I don't
feel I have that much time. 1 fee:llike I should do something now,
like it can't wait any longer."
~Flowers
grow in their own good rime. It's not easy. seeing the
path twist and disappear ahead, knowing it's a long climb. You
want to act because that's what you have been trained to do. But
first understand."
"Understanding without acting docs nothing," I s.,id.
"Yet acting without understanding may crotc even more
problems. Somccimcs you need
10
5imply relax into life. and to
mISt." She took a deep breath. "No matter how pressing life: may
feel at times, Dan, there's no need to rush, and nowhere to rush
to. You have pleoty of lime to accomplish what you wish."
"This life:?~
"Or the: next."
''I'd like 10 start a little sooner than that," I said. "I have an
ache inside - maybe it's a message from my Basic Self - and it's
prodding me to get on with it. Whatever 'it' is."
Mama Chi;!. stopped ag:l.!n and 10oked:lI me. ''In the darkest,
most chaotic limes - when things f.,l1aparr - such times often
mark quickening as your mind readies itself to make a leap. When
you feel like you're going nowhere, stagnuing. even slipping: back
ward - your soul is only backing up to get a running stan."
"You really believe this?"
"What I believe: isn't the point. You have to go beyond bel ief
ro direct experience. Consider it for yourself. Look at your life
d~ply. right now. Ask your inner knower; your Basic Self knows

Eyes 01 Ihe Shomon

79
- it has already told me that you're about to make the Ic:lp maybe not today, or
tomorrow, but soon enough, And JUSt as
Socrates prepared you for me, I'll do my part to get you ready for
the next step, "
"You make it sound simple."
"II is simple; just not easy. But it could be far casier if you
weren't still stuck in your drama, so seriou.~. You're like a gnat on
a TV screen, Dan - all you see is a bunch of dou. Optn your
eyes! There is a bigger picture. Each of us has our role to play. YOII
are playing your pan to perfection. And when the rime is right,
you'll not only find your purpose; you'll realize }'OU never lost it.
You're searching for your path in life even as you walk upon it. For
now. fully embrace all thrc:e selves. Let them work together in har
many and cooperation, your head in the douds and your feet on
the ground."
Gazing ahead, she added, "We certainly ha,'e work to do
together, YOII and I. We're going 10 prepare you the same way we're
climbing this mountain - aile step at a time. " At that, she turned
and continued upward. I felt encouraged by her words, bur my
body, feeling the exertion, was growing weary. Yet Mama Chia
somehow limped on and on.
"Where exactly are: we: going. anyway?" I asked, panting.
"To the: top."
"And what are we going to do when we: get there?"
"You'll find dmt our when we arrive," she ~1id, he:uling up the
rocky trail.
The: hike soon became steeper. like an endless stairway. The
air grew Ihinner and our breaching more bbored wilh each scep as
we climbed toward ,he peak of Kamakau, aimosl five Ihousand
feet high.

80
DAN MILLMAN
Two HOURS LATER, JUSt before dusk, we reached the peak and
stepped at l:1S[ onw lcvd ground. With a wave of her hand,
Mama Chia directro my eyes to an incredible panorama of the
island of Molokai. Turning slowly around. I gazed OUt o\'cr
the expanse of lush green forest at the sea. The edge of the sky
Wal ablaze with co lor 3S the sening sun pailllcd the clouds red,
purple. Or:l.ngc, and pink.
"Well. here we arc," I said with a sigh .
"Yes, here we arc," she tthoed, still g:tzing at the setting sun.
"Now that we're here, what arc we going to do?"
"Gather some wood. We'll camp ne:tchy tonight. I know a
spot, Tomorrow, we r~h OUf destination," She pointed toward
the C3Slcrn tip of the island.
She led me to a small wlucrfall, where ....'C drank deeply of the
sparkling w,m:r, rich wirh mincr:Us. N(:;lrhy stood :1 rock overhang
that would .~hc:lter w in = of sudden rain. Glad to I'C5t my wobbling legs, I sw
ung Mama Chia's pack oiT m y shoulders. I had no idea.
how this elderly woman, snuller than I but heavier, limping 310ng
mile after mile of mggcd terrain, could sustain this kind of eiTort.
We made a fire: big enough to heal some rocks and bury them
with foil.wrappcd yams. Served with SfJme raw vegetables, the
yams tlUted :.l5 delectable as any mea/I'd ever ealen.
We made OUT beds of a thick moss, and put some 5111:111
br:mchcs in the fire: - not for warmth, but for the glow, and the
comfoning crackle.
As we senled in for the night nnd lay gazing up through the
palm fronds into endless space, I said, "Ever since I was fl oating
out there - on the surfboard - ]\'e been thinking a lor about
death. A few nights ago, the face of an old friend appeared to me.
He was a student at O berlin. so young and full of life. Then he
~ dingnosed with a terminal iIInCM. He wid me th:lt he prayed
a lot. But he died JUSt the same."
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<:: 11O$ do nulor

Eyes 01 the Sho mo"

81
"Our prnyers are always answered," $.1id Mama Chiao "Bur
sometimes God says no.
" Why would God say not'
"Why does a loving parent say no? Sometimes children's
wana run counter to their needs. People turn to God when their
foundation s an: shaking. only to discover it is God who's shaking
them. The conscious mind cannot alWOlys foresee what i!i for the
highest good."
"Easy for you to say - "
"Not so C\5}', but this is how I live .... " She W.l.S silent for a time,
bur then I heard her voice again: "A:; a young girl ... when I first
met the mall you call Socrntes - my body was slim and
supple and full of life. Now I have physiClI challenges - painnll at
times, but every ch:illenge has brought hidden gifts, though I didn't
always appreciate them at llle lime. One gift is deeper oompa.'i..~ion.
For someone cisc, the gift might be gremer sensitivity to the body, or
a sttonger moti\'ation to take bencr care of oneself, or to relax and
play more."
"Discomfort is one way our Basic Self gets our attention."
.. It sure wor~ for me, " I said, gazing into the fire.
"Yes, but J don't recommend it as a habit," she added.
"Althougll pain m:ly serve a.~ a wake. up ClII, it's usually the Ba.~i c
Selfs sccond~tolast resOrt. It ollly sends harsh messages when the
gender pnes _ your intuirions and dreams - have been ignored."
"What's the Basic Selfs last resort~"
"Death, ~ she said. "And it happens, in onc form or the OIher,
[0 many who were unable Of unwilling 10 listen . Basic Selves, like
children, are loyal :md not easily alienated. They may ft'ccive a lot
of abuse. But when they've: had enough .....
She didn't need 10 fini sh her sentence. In the silence, I asked,
"If tile B:uie Sclfis in charge of the bod}', it C:ln Cluse or ellre :1Ily
disease, right?"
P

DAN MILLMAN
82
~Undcr
thc: right circumsr:lOces, if it's permim'd within the
destiny of that individual, yes.
M
wThen medicines don't rcally maUer."
WMedicines arc: one way to assist the Basic Sdf- they're a gift
from the: muura! world,w she: said, rc:aching lip and plucking a
seedpod from a nearby bwh. Opening the: pod. she: showc:d me:
the: small seeds, and said, YBasic Selves, as you've experienced, ha"e
:l close connection to the: natural world: each plan! and herb carries sJXcific
messages and energies that the: Basic Self understands.
So does each color. or aroma, or sound. Or dancr:. for that mauer.
wHealing is a grC:JI mystery. even for today', physicians; we: are
nill discovering nature', laws of balance:. But as we sct in closer
IOuch with our Basic Selves and thc subtle forces 31 work, we: will
sec more 'mimdcs.'"
wMosr physicians Tend to rely on their Conscious Selves, on
their minds mther dun on their illluitions, don'r theyt'
Mit's not a marler of trusting the Basic Self or the Corucious
Self," she replied., "It's a matter of Irusting both - c:tch at the
appropriate lime, The Arabs have a saying: 'Trust in God, but tie
your camel.' It's important (Q trust the Basic Self [0 heal a CUt, for
example, bur the Conscious Self reminds LL~ to use a bandage,
"If you ovc:real junk food, smoke cig:uetle5, drink roo much
alcohol. or usc other drugs - if you exhaust yourself. or hold in
your emolions - you m;\ke it harder for the Basic Self 10 do its
job and maintain a strong immune system; it can't always heal
without the cooper:uion of the Conscious Self; it can only send
painful body mCSS:tgcs to get your attention. Pmyer alone nlay nOI
be enough; also do what you can [0 :usisr. Fmncis C:lrdinal
Spellman once said, 'Pmy as if everything depended. on God, and
work as if everything depended on man: "
I watched Mama Chi:l with growing admimtion :lnd wonder.
"Mama Chi:l, how do you know so milch? Where did you Ic:trn all
these things?"
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

Eyet of tho Shomon

83
She S3id nothing at first. I glanced ov~r ar her in fh~ firelighr,
thinking she had &J1~n asJ~~p. But hc:r c:yc:s were wide open, as if
st:lring into another world. Finally, she answered, ''I'll think on it
tonight. Perhaps I'll tell you some of my Story tomorrow. We still
have a long hike ahead." With that, sh~ turned on her side and
went quickly to sleep. I lay awak~ a while before joining her, smr
ing at the dying embers of the fir~.

A Well-Rounded Woman
God com forl$ tho disturbod
and disII,lrb5 th o comfort abla.
- Unknown
IN TlU! MORNINC, a rc:frc5hing shower under tlu: w.ltcrf.11l helped
dear the stiffness from my legs. back, and shoulders. Though I
hadn't regained my full StrengTh. the simple diet and outdoor exercise brought r
enewcO virnlity.
Mlcr a s!nalt brcakf."lSt of papaya, banana, and wafer from the
rnll'~1 we caminl/cd along the mngc: of volcanic rock that
from the: sea a million
fOOf5U:PS.
yC3fS
bUUT
before, breathing to the: rhylillu of our
Marna Chi:! must have known this range intimately; she:
seemed instincdvely ro know the correct path at every turn .
A5 we walked, I once: again asked her to tell me about her life,
~I don', usually talk much aboU[ my lifc:,~ she began. "But I
feel ir's imporrnru for you to know a little:."
"Why is that~ft
"I'm not certain, but I trust my
SA
ins1i n c (s . ~

A Well - Rounded Womon

85
"Well, you h:lVe my attention.~ 1 said, walking closely behind
her an the narrowing trail.
She began: ~I was born here. on Molok:l.i. ill 1881. My f.uher
was part Hawaiian and part Japanese. the same as my mother. Like
this island, 1 have a rich heritage. Nonetheless, as a young girl I felt
fatigued most of the time. and had many allergies and ilIncssc.~. J
was confined to bed much of the time and couldn't :artend school
><gill"ly.
"My F.uher would sit at my bedside and tell me stories. He
told me of great women, like Qu~n K:l.ahumanu, who helped
open Hawaii to Christianity. and Harriet Tubman. once a slave
in Americt. who esc:aped but returned many times to the South
at great risk to bring many of her people to freedom. His SIOries
gave me hope that I, too. might grow into someone more than
I was. despite my early infirmities. Years later, author Jack London
echoed my father's encouragement when he wrote, 'Life is not
always a matter of holdinG good ca rds, bUI ~ometimcs, playing a
poor hand well.'
"I suppose 1 played my hand as well as I could." she continued, taking some maca
damia nuts out of her pack and giving me
a handful. "When I was seven, my parents heard about a !:almna
kupua - a shaman - named Papa Kahili. A powerful healer. he
was revered by those who knew him, and his reputation grew
among those who understood the ancient ways.
"As devout Christians, my parents misrrusted those who
spoke of nature spirits. Bur finally, because I w:u growing weaker
and no one else had been able to help me, their love ovcrome
their fears and they asked Papa KalJili to s me.
"The first time we met. he offered no medicines - nor any
of the ceremonial magic rh:lt my parents had expected. He ju."lr

DAN MILLMAN
86
spoke wilh me quietly. I fdt that he really cared nboUl me. That
day, thoush I dido'[ know it. my healing had hegnn.
YL:uer, he brought herbal medidnoes, and spoke of many
things of the healing power inside me. He !Old me inspiring
stories, paiming beautiful pictures in my mind. Papa Kahili look
me on many journeys. and each time I retUrned, I was Stronger.
But he fold my parents, and me as well, tim! I would nev.:r bear
children. This dark prediction troubled my parems morc th:m it
did me. At Ihat age. bearing children ...."as nor foremost on my
mind. And besides. we did not believe that any man could know
the furore . ~
"Did your parents ever accept him?" I asked.
"Months laler. yes. They would alII him a 'priest of God, ' and
they liked how he never took credit for my improvement, bUI said
it W;IS the Holy Spirit that guided and worked through him. He
was parI of the sccrt':( llistory. like the undetgwund spting that
gives life to fields of flowers. The history book, would never lell or
him; yet, in our smaller world. he was one of the greatest of men.
MAt the turn or the century. when I was eighteen. I immersed
myself in what I had missed in my early years: I rr:weled to Oahu
:lIld tile other islands. I socialized :u much as w;u :lllowed ill t1\()~e
days. and gossiped with the other girls. But eventually. ~uc h things
lost their meaning to me. I had always felt different from adler
prople. :u if I were only a visitor to this world. I had ahV'Jys
believed this sense of not belonging was due to my illnesses. But
even now t felt like a stranger even among my rriends. They
enjoyed noisy social gatherings and talking of things that held
little meaning for me. I prererred sitting 0111 in the moonlight
among the trees and scars." she S3id. gesturing with hef wallcing
stick up IOward the lowering kukui trees above :lnd arollnd liS.

A Well-Rounded Womon
87
"I thought that maybe all those years confined to bed, in solitude, and all my r
eading had made lIle Ihoul:Jlllful abour orher
things, bigger issues. But later it seemed as if I had some kind of
foreknowledge, as if I had always known or sensed things others
did not see. I began to spend more time alone. When I was nineteen, my father di
ed suddenly. Soon :lfter. my mother's eyesight
failed and she suffered :t number of iUs beyond my powers to
a1levi:tte.
"When Papa K:thili returned to Molokai :tfter a decade studying with an African
shaman, I asked him to hdp my mother. By
this time he was very old. and his service work in Africa, facing
starvation, dyseOlery, :tnd a host of other amictions, had taken irs
toll on him. He told me that Spirit was calling my mother. and
that she would soon be free of her painful body - and th3.( he
would follow.
"He spoke with my mother and counseled her and, one week
after his rerum. she died quietly in her sleep. After th:n. I was
alone. and I SpeOl every day helping Papa K:thili. Gathering my
COUr.lgc, I asked him if he would tcach me the kahuna ways; I told
him I felt this was my destiny.
"He was so moved by my announcement that Papa lx=gan to
cry, because he had scen something within me, but he had to wait
for me to ask. So, he adopted me into his family. and into the
Juhun:l u:tdition.
"Papa Kahili soon departed for the spi rit world, but his presence has remained
with me always.
"'I carricd on in his place, helping people he had served: I took
special tmining as:t midwife as well. After seeing my parems die,
I wanted to welcome more life into the world. In this way, I could
participate in the miracle of birth, even if tbe babies weren't
my own.
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dCPCC I1Q5 00 MID'

88
DAN MILLMAN
"Then, in the e:uly 1900s, while in my mid-twenties. I was sene
an invitation by an unusual man to meet with a E?lhering of masters
from various spiritual traditions. I fclt a decp thrill and inner confir
madon. So. d(Spirc my fear of leaving my island home. I made the
long journey westward across the Pacific by steamship. I was met by
:I m:1n named Chen at a prcarr.rngcd sile on the co.1S( of China, and
I traveled with him to a place Cl!led the ~roof of the world," where,
about a year later. I joinro this g:lthering. II W:lS there I later met a
man about ten years my scnior- the man }"OU refer to as 'Socr.lIes. '"
"Wherc did he come from? ~ I asked. "What was he doi ng
there? And what W;LS his rell mIme?"
'" C:ln tell aOOm my life. SOCr:ltCS will have to tdl you about
his own," she said. and would speak no more of it.
Disappointed. I walkec.l in silt'nee:, Ihillking about Mama
Chia's past. Until I realized something: "Wait a minute! If ),011
were in your twenlies back ,hen", and now it's 1973", then
you're:", nearly ninel}' ye:ars old! I don't believe it - "
"And I don't keep track of such things," she said, "How old
would you be if you didn't know your age:? Th:u is all that rn:meNi.
In any C\'ent," she continued, '" later traveled widely on m)' way
back to Hawaii. I'm glad I waited umill could see with the eyes
of my hearl. Otherwise:, I might have p3.SSe:d right by the: school."
"What school?" I asked, remembering Socrates' words abOU I a
hidden school in Japan or China.
"Afte:r Chen arranged for my pas.sage through China," she: said,
'" visited Siam, now Cllled Thailand, and pares of Indonesia - "
~What school?", repeated.
"A hidden school - "
~ H ow was it hidden?" , asked.
"Not really hidden, but few people could see d early enough
to find it,"

A WellRounded Womon
89
"Can you tell me more? I think it's one re;J.Son I'm here - to
Ic:un its location. ~
"Now is not the time," she repealed. "You have [0 learn
certain things from your own intuition. your own experience."
We had reached the summit - tile highest point for miles
around.
"A good place to finish my slory." she said, surveying the rain
forest far below, "to help establish where we are now, and what we
:ate to do together. Al soon as I returned home, to Moloklli. in
19tO, I was filled with new enthushlSm and energy. tc:ldy [0 ell!
forth miracles. perhaps even heal (he lepers.
"Wh;l.t happened next is difficult [0 explain from my current
perspeCtive. But from high hopes and expectations. one risks a fall.
And my crises came from a single incident: Soon after beginning
my work. I w:l5 called upon by a distraught young man whose
infant son had suddenly taken ill. He begged me to accompany
him to his small C:lbin. As we hurried to the road. he explained
Ihal his child had gone into convulsions. then passed our. The
young f.:tther was numb with panic. and his wife was beside herself when I arriv
ed.
"l1ley were poor. and isolated. so no other help would be arriving anytime soon.
The child w:u in a bad way - that much w:l5
dear." Mama Chia stOpped. sat down, and gestured for me to do the
5:1mc:. We s:tt on an ollfcropping of rock overlooking the >r.1lley below
as she related sadly. "I still can't explain what came over me. Despite
the bUn! tradition of doing positive work and then stepping l.ck in
faith, I felt person.ally rcspclnsible (or this child's survi .....ll- as if he
were the last and only child in [he world. I fdt I lJad to savt him, I
did everything within my knowledge and power to help thar child;
1 aened every last ounce of my will lind energy. I prayed. I whispered to him. 1
called [0 him. But he died. jUst the same.. ,."

90
DAN MIllMAN
E\'cn now, many deCIdes ]:lter, Mama Chia's eyes misted
over. "The child had died in my arms. And something inside me
died as well. I bc:lievcd I could have s:lVcd him - sholild have
saved him - if only I had studied harder, known more. And
perhaps I was secretly grieving for myself, and for the children
I would never have, for I rcmemberw Papa K:ahili'" pu:dicdon. I
dedded that this failure was a sign that I wasn't mcant to hCJI
others; tllat I had choscn the wrong path. TIlis thought consumed
me beyond all logic. and - O\'Cf the protest of those people I had
helped. and in spite of the parents' compassionate thanks for my
elTons on behalf of their child - I vowed never to practice hcaling again. I had
losr fuith in myself and in Spi rit.
"I moved to Oahu in 1911, just before the FirSt World War,
0111,1 ~lam:J workins al the bank. As rime passed. I had many
drc:rms of the home and work I had left hehind. Bile I ignored
rhem :lS me~ illusions. It's not without a cerlain irony, Dan, Ihal
I - (mined in the IJllI/a ways - would ignore my own dreams
and intuitions. [I W:lS not surprising Ihat t developed ... ~ she
looked down :lnd gestured loward her body, ~this ... roundness. I
jllSt didn't Clrl! enough, or have reason enough, [0 change. I sank
inlO a secure routine, going through the malians, wearing a smile
as [ exiled myself from my frue [ife, ... "
We It quietly for a liule while, until another question
popped inlo my evcr-inquiring mind: "Why was your name when I met you on Oahu Ruth Johnson?"
~I was getting 10 Ihal," she said. ~ Thc name 'Rulh' t look on
as part of my 'other existence.' I no longer felt like the young
woman named Chiao A~ for my last name ... it was my married
name,
~When least expected. one day in 1918 at die cnd of the war,
I was leaving the Honolulu library when a book slipped from my
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

A Well - Rounded Womon

91
arms. Before I could even ~ch down. a handsome soldier appeared
from nowhere. scooped up the book. and handed it to me wilh a
smile. He w:u a [311 haou sr.uioned there. His name was Bradford
Johnson. We began to talk. and never stopped. We were married in
1919.1 used to teU him I must have $:Ived his life in a previous incafnation, an
d that he: owed me one.
uAfter his discharge from the military, he found a teaching
post in Honolulu. Aner rhat, we lived for some yaTS in a semblance of happiness,
or at least a quiet satisfaction. I had a husband and a home. And with both of
OUf jobs, we made do.
uTwo years later, 1learned 1w.:u: pregnant. But Iiosl that b:lby,
and the next. lliings change<i after that. We JUSt drifted apart.
We separated amiably and Bradford moved cast to the American
Midwest. He wrote regularlY:lt first, but then his letters StOpped,
J stayed on in Honolulu. I missed my home island, but visiting for me was painfu
l- a kind of grieving - so I served people
in a safe, conventional way. In one sense, I fit in. But secretly I
remained a world apan, Only my dream-life was rich with possibility. In the nigh
t I traveled b3ck to the roof of the world, and
met with your Socrntes, We were quite dose those rn.:tny yeus ago,
BUI he had traveled, and we had no contact for many YC3.rs, until
one day he found me here - I don't know how. I was working in
another bank :'I l the time. and my joy :u seeing him W:lS mixed
with a terrible shame at what I looked like, and what I had
become.
"Yet his eyes showed nothing but affection and gladness to see
me, and the effect - I C::lnnot describe its full impact - w:u a
healing as powerful as :my I had ever experienced with Pap:l
Kahili. It was the second great healing of my life, seeing myself :u
he saw me. I felt young again, and beautiful.
"J took a leave from Ihe bank and we journeyed together back

92
DAN MILLMAN
to my tniC home, hc:rc on Molokai. I introduced him 10 tho.~c I
still knew. We spenr ~mc time mget.her before he moved on he had p~si ng busines
s cl5cwhc:rc. So I returned to Oahu, and to
the life to which I had grown accustomed. Socr.ltCS Wroll: to me
several limes over the many years Ih:1( followed - duough die
t'ovcntiC5. and the Great Depression, and the St(ond \'(forld \'(f.1r
that struck so close to home.
~llivcd from one day to the lIeXt, until I finally retired wilen
I was scvcnryfhc years old. in 1957. Thai's when I moved hack to
my bdov~ Molobi. Somehow. returning to Molokai wilh
Soer:lles - and seei ng it all freshly. through his eyes - relieved
me of a burden I had c.'l.rried for so many years. Together. he and
I began the:: firS( in :J long line of new and happy memories. That
is how it h:l.' been with Soer-ues: although he: doesn't take: Oil the:
mantle of a ~healer, n his presence and influencc have: that e/Tect on
[hose around him,M
"Yes," I said, TCmembering ...
After a few quiet moments, Mama C hia continued, h[ had
money saved, and I created a quiet and comfonable home. BUf
few old frienw still lived there, and many had p:LueJ on. [ g:udened, and I read
, and I volunteerul TO work with children. And
sometimes, when a child was ill, I said or did a fe:w 'Iuiet. simple
things to help jf I could. But it fTightcned me, somehow, and [
held back from ally thing more.
"Theil. six years ago I rdved a letter from Socrates .... "
"That would be 1967,n 1said.
"Yes. I had no idea how his [wer had found me, or why he
might be writillg after all these years. Bm his letter. like his visit,
ch:mgcd my life again, I W;J.S reminded of things I h3d forgotten:
his words strengthened me, inspired me, and ga\'e me <I purpose:

once agam.
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

A Well-Rounded Womon
93
1 smiled, rememlxring. wHe's good at that, But he can also
kick butt when he needs to."
"Yes," she said. "That, too. He's v~ry good al 'kicking butt.'
And in that letter he told me about you - that you might one day
seek me OUt. Soon after it arrived - and perhaps becawe of it,"
she continued, ~I returned to the work I was bom to do, and have
sincc practiced my work as a midwife and kahuna. I've since
welcomed hundreds of infants into the world. And all the while,
I've kept my inner eyes peeled for you. So you see, hdping you,
[hn, is in parr a way to show my gratitude for Socr:ncs' love and
healing in my own life."
"I love happy endings," I said.
Mama Chia SlOPped, and turned to me. Her smile faded as
she said in a furaway voice, "I hope thaI when your ending comes,
you will be as happy."
I shivered as a cold wind blew in from the west.

The Rozor's Edge

FOlgel abou t Jikes cn d di~ lile~ ; they o le 0 1 no co nsequence .
JuSI do who! must be d one .
This may not be happiness. but
it
Is grootnoss.
- George Sernard Shaw
By TUE ARLY AfTeRNOON, die nccp (1~5CC IH b"1lVC W:ly 10 a gemle:
grade. Following the crest as we were, the rocky nail had shnmk to
the width of a balance beam, with :l nearly \'cniClll drop of hundreds of fccl o
n either side, and 110 margin for error. Convt"nation
was OUI of the: question. From the :Iir, I thought, this ridge must
look as narrow as the edge of a razor. Fighting vertigo. I forced
myself to concentrau:: on Mama Chia, ten feet in front of me, bal
ancing likc: a mountain goat as she cominucd her steady. limp ing
stride. With loose rocks, strewn along the razo rback ridge. footing
treacherous. and a misstep would have ~cn dis,'lmous. We
continued in this m:lnner, single file. grndt.l.1Uy descending to the
W:!S
c:lSt, until the path widened, and Mama Chia ge.uurcd for us to I'C5t ,
With a deep sigh, I removed the knapsack I carried and sat
down next to her, Mama Chin reached inside the knapsack and
94

The Rozor ' s Edge

95
took out two sandwiches. She handed me one:. ~Kallkau. ~ she s.,id,
pointing to the sandwich. "Food."
I bit into the thick slices of bread. "Ummmm. d'licious. ~ I
said. my mouth full . And I rema rked on the courage she showed,
w:lIking :lIong :t ridge th:tt ga.ve me, :In exgymnast. knot5 in my
stomach.
"So you think I'm courageous?" she said.
"Yes, I do."
"Well, ma.ybe: so - but th:tt's because I've had sonle inspiring
(eachers. I'll (dl you about one of them: Many years ago, when
I worked as a volunteer at a. local hospital, I'd gotten to know a
little girl named Li:z.a who was suffering from 11 rare and serious disease. Her
only chance o f recovery appeued to be a blood transfusion from her li.ve-yearold brother, who had miraculously survived
the same disease and had devdoped the antibodies needed to combat the illness. T
he doctor explained the situation to her little
brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood
to his siSler. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, 'Yes, I'll do it if it witl save Liz.:I.'
"As the Iransfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister, and smiled,
:IS we all did, seeing the color returning to her
checks. Then his face grew pale and his smile f.1ded. He looked up
at the doctor and asked , with a trembling voice. 'Willi start to die
right away?' ~
Mama Chia looked over at me. "Being young, the boy had
misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to
give her It" his blood.
"Yes, I've: learned something of courage, because I've had
inspiring teachers."
After thilt we ate in silence. TIlell I lay down for a brief nap.
As 1 drifted off. J Ihought aboU[ that Story, and about her story,
Mal ial p'o~ido pot dctOChOS de ~"!Ot

96
DAN MILLMAN
too. Somehow it gave me perspective about my own life :Ind
difficulties, which suddenly seemed small in comparison.
It seemed I had juSt drifted olT when Mama Chia jarred me to
W;Lkefulness. "lime to get going; we have: [0 gct there before
nightfall."
"Arc: we visiting so meond ~
She pausW before: answering. "'n a manner of speaking."
Dark clouds moved ovcrht'3d. obscuring the: su n, now sinking
behind the trees, falling toward the: horiron. We turned down off
[he ridge. back into the
(Omit.
"Hurry!" she urged, quickening her pace. "It's getting latc."
We: plL'lhed ac ross Ihe uneven terrain. Another hOllr
p~,
and we: pushed through rnngled branches. The hike had taken the
benef pan of a day, and I was rcady to drop. I Q lle<! ahead to
Mama Chia as we descended farthe r. "We must have: walked nvc: or
six miles today. u n we tnke a rcSt ~"
"No rcst yet.
A light drizzle started, but the cover of trees over our head.~
kept w rel:uively dry.
"I still don't und erstand how )'OU em move so fuu ... for someone who's so - ~
ubstantial.n I said, nearly running to Cltch up.
~ I can access a lot of energy." she explained.
HHow do you do it~"
~A new mOlher, even though she's very ti~d, Cln get up again
:rnd again during the night, responding to the Q ils of a sick child."
HYes, I guess so."
~That's how I keep going with you." she said.
She continued to set the pace; I followed. slipping occasionally on some moss-co
vered rocks - up and down ridges, p;L~t
many small waterfalls fed from the constant runoff on this part of
the Island, then on through the forest for several mure milCl!.
H

The RCll.Or'i Edge

97
As we headed up o\'er anOlher rise, and then down, into
H:1lawa Valley, I felt unacc(lunt:l.bly refreshed. This feeling of vigor
increased as we descended further. Finally, we came 10 :1 small
dearing. protected on every side by the thick cover of trees.
Rays of sun, low on the horizon, cut through the thick foliage,
crearing ribbons of light through the greenery. "Make yourself
comfonable," she said.
I sat down heavily on a soft bed of leaves, only slightly damp,
and dropped her backpack on the forest floor. She remained
standing, next to the branch of a kukui tree, staring into space.
r was JUSt lying back looking up Ihrough the brnnchcs when I
heard Mama Chia's voice behind me: "Do you recall what I said
before ... about shape-shifting1"
"Uh, you didn't really say that much about - " JUli then,
st:l.mcd by the loud chirping of a bird, I turned toward her, but
she had vanished, and in her place, near where she had been srnnding, on the low
branch of a tree. sat a bird, staring imo space, perfectly slill, 1U if waiting
for something. "It can't be:!" I said aloud.
"v
IOU re not ... "
The bird fixed me with an unblinking g:uc:; I smrc:d back.
waiting for 3 sign, when Mama Chia's grinning f.1ce peeked out
from behind the tree trunk. The moment she saw me gaping, her
smile rufned 10 I:lUghler. "Dan , , wish I'd had a camera; your
expression was priceless."
She stepped fOTW:lrd ;lnd winked al Ihe bird; it flew to her
shoulder. "So, you thought l'd become a bird."
""ve seen stranger things,~ I said.
"I expect that you have," she replied. "And m:lny everyday miracles go unnoticed
. But people don't physically tum imo liule
birds. Shape-shilling involves the tr:'lnsference of consciousness. a

98
DAN MILLMAN
form of deep empathy. Nothing more, nothing less. You fed your
way into 'bird awa reness.' n
She stroknl the little bird, smoothing his bloodrc:u chest and
white belly feathers. as he chirped. "This
i~
an
(Ipapl/III'
bird. He's
sort of:l pet, and follows me occasionally," she said, lOuching his
curved beak. I Clil him 'Redbird:
M]s
M
he mrne?" I asked, rccovc:ring from my embarrassment.
"Can I hold him?"
"I don't know. You'll have to ask him."
"What am I supposed to do whistle in bird languagd"
She shared a look with the bird, who appeared to roll his eyes
in his head as if 10 say. "Who iJ this guy?"
I reached Ollt slowly, and the scmiwild 'npaPIlIlI' allowed me to
stroke his belly.
"I have: 10 admit, ,hat was a nice trick. You had me fooled.
Her exp~ion darkened. like the sky overhead. and she Stood..
"What we arc about to do tonight is not about 'tricks,'" she
declared, taking the small bird into her hand. wit's about life and
d~41h. Suddenly, she closed her hand tiglldy on the bird, sqUCC'l
ing him until he lay uill and limp in her hand.
In ~hock. I uammered, unbelieving. "How could you?"
It's also about death and lift, .. she interrupted. tossing the little
bird up into the air, where he spread hiSwings. flew up into a (fee.
:ll1d naned to sing beautifully, undisturbed by a sudden driuJe. and
apparently no worse for wor.
The rain would soon pass, but would thi! sense of dread?
Mama Chia, unperturbed by my concerns, lay curled up like
a mother bear, her C)'es dosed, her brtolthing slow and deep,
I rested for about fifteen minutes but couldn't slecp; I was too
full of :mxicty abollt whatcyer waitcd for IllC ahead.
M

The Rozor'l Edge

99
When she finally stirred, then stretched, I asked, ~Where
are we?R
"Inside the boundaries of Kalanikaula. a sacred kukui grove."
"Sacred?" I said, sitting up 3.nd looking around.
"Yes. Can you feel it?"
I looked up into the grny bark, light green leaves, and white
nowers of the beautiful trees, then closed my eyes and realized that
the beauty wasn't so much the look, but the fori, of the place. "I
feel ... a kind of fear - no, not exactly fear, bllt ... awe." Then
I added, "Why did we come all this way?R
"You go to a sacred place for a 5.1ered tcaching." Abruptly, she
Stood. RCome. It will soon be dark." Er.lSing any signs of herself,
she fumed and walked inw the forest. I stood quickly, and fol
lowed her example.
"You want to tcll me what this is about?" I askC(l, walking
swiftly through the trees, trying to keep her in sighT.
"When we get there," she called back.
"Get where?"
Though mumed by the trees, the sound of her voice carried
clearly enough. "The burial ground," she s;!.id.
"Burial gtound~ Tonight?" The hairs on the back of my neck
STood up - a clear message from my Basic Self that somclhing
was coming - and I had no fondness for burial grounds at night.

Tower of Life
Symbolica lly, th orl, a tawO! wa s o riginally conceivod
a s 0 vehi cle lo r con nec ting sp ir it a nd mollOr. ...
The gods must find a way to enter by force il necesso ry.
- Sollie Nichols, Jung ond Torot
By TIlE 11MI!. 1 LOOKJ!D ur, Mama Chia W.l.'l already r.venty yards
ahead. I jogged to slay close 10 her. As we climbed out of the kukui
grove, o\'(r the nurow ridge on the way to the buri:!1 ground. the
foresl changed. As far a.~ the eye: could Stt, in the:: silver sheen of a
half-moon, lay miles of withered forest - trees that wcrc once
me proud 011;11 3Jld beautiful kIM, now gaum skeletons SCIrring the
ridgo: above W"ilau v'1I1cy. ~Dccr were irmoduccd here to satisfy
the hunters who kill for spon," Marna Chia explained.
eat the seedlings, so
deer
n~cr
grow. Most of the older
tr$ arc dying of dry rot and choked with sticky gr.tSs :'Ind vinc.~
even the deer won't !Ouch."
We walked upw:'Ifd, o\'er the ridge, ,md downward, passing
these gnarled patriarchs, {he last remains of Ihe dying uees. In the
moonlit forcsl, Mama Chia began 10 spc:"k, and her worth, like a
powerful magnet, drew me into a new vision of reality. "The
)'Olmg
trees
unl(~
100
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo IX'" de
hos 00 a Jlor

101
Tower 01 lilli
human body is like a tower of se\'en Stories," she said. -This has
been known for centuries by inner explorers wb o h ~Y e m ~ pped the
subtle bodies and energy centers. The Indian mystics called these
seven levels cJ,akmJ. Herc:. let me show rou. ~ She SlOpped. reached
behind me inco her backp:l(k for a pen :\lld notebook, an d , ~quat
ting down. she drew a diagram:
THE TOWER OF SEVEN FLOORS
Sc~mlh
Sinh
7: TRANSCENDENCE
I\m: Spirit; no self n:mairl$.
6: UNITY
Pure Light: co mmunion wi lh Spirit.
s: MYSTICAL REVELATION
Fourth
Th ild
Pun:
In~ pj r:ujon ;
in ner tj'CS !timed
loward Spi ri t.
4:
TRANSPERSONAL LOVE
Open hea rt, ego no longeT (eiller.
I 'rim~ry emotion: oo mpnsion. hSLlc:
How best 10 scr.e.
An.
-'- "-lHI (,111 \111 \1'
J:
PERSONAL POWER
Primary clllot ioru: Anger ( Ien~ ion ).
Iu ua: Di1cil'linc: commilm~nl: will.
1:
SEXUALlTY/CRfATMTY
J'rimary cnlotion: So rrow;

wc~knt'M.
lu uo: Reachin g OUI; cmbncing lift;
encrg,Y and rda lion~hip.
I:
PERSONAL SURVIVAL
Primary emotion: Fea r (paro!ysis).
Issue: lookin g OUI for self alone.
Millc.;,,1pro'cOido pot dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

102
DAN MILLMAN
As. Mama Cilia finished, she lapped the diagram with hcr pen.
"This conveys the es.scnce of what you need
[0
know fo r now," she
said. ''The tower of life is within you, And each Iloor has distinct
qualities, and each, from the lo\\-est to the higheST. represems a
more expanded stale of awareness.
~The Jcw.CSI rhrc:e fl oors. 5ufviV31, creativity, and power, arc
the domain of the Basic Self; it is neither interested in, nor responsible for,
the higher floors . Clearing the lowen three floors :lnd
dcali~g with the issues there strengthens the Basic Self.
~On the (oufll! floor, the re:tlm of the hearr, you first make
contact with the Higher Self."
"What about the upper IIm~c f1oors?~ I asked. "That's where I
wanl to live. ~
Mama C il ia looked up from Ihe diagram, and said only ,his;
"Unlw the roOts of:l rree arc decp. it can't blossom: unbs the
tower h:t~ a strong foundation, it will crumble. You've got to clean
up the basement befote you move into the penthouse. The upper
floors are not )'ct your eoneern.~
I didn't agree, but I let it go for the moment. "What do the5e
words mean, here in the middle?" I asked. poillling to the dia
gram. "'nle Great Leapt
"It refer5 fa the most difficult and wonderful leap any human
being can make," she s:ud. "up out of the personal concerns of the
lower three floors. into the heart. O nce you s et to the fourth noor
... the rest is an elevator ride.
"All OUT external go,l[s and dr.lma5 reflect this universal inner
qut, and every human beinS will eventually a'>Cend these seven
steps to the soul. The only question is when. For you. I believe it
is possible now, in this lifetime."
She started 10 say something else. bur stopped and came
around behind me. "Sit down - that's right, get comfortable."
She started to rub my shoulders.
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

Tower of lifo
103
"Hey, this is really nice. Mama Chiao If you want, after. r can
also give your shoulden: a -" Juu then Illy legs beSllO 10 twitch as
she pressed her fingers into a point on my neck. I saw flashes of
light.
much as YOIl C.IO.~ she urged. a.( she pres.sc:d her
knuckles into my temples - harder, harder. Her voice beg<ln 10
fade as I he:ltd her say. MThere arc archetypes within the deepest
recesses of every human mind .... " I felt my eyes closing. then
heard the sound of a f.'lI';l\vay wind.
MRe[ax as
1OI'NED MY EYES and blinked as clouds of dust blew aeross a gray
plateau. stark as a crater on the 1I100n. stretching for miles in every
direction. The wind gusted agai n, moaning, howling. acTOSS the:
vast expanse:. Then my attention focllsed on a distam nbject. still
tOO far to distinguish d early. Was it a tower? Yes, a white lOwer.
And I knew I muSt go there. By an act of will. ami without effort.
I felr myself drawing closer. 'nle tower grew larger, until it loomed
above me.
O\'erwhdmoo by a wonderful, terrible sense of :\we, I found
myself outside a window at the base of the tower - the first floor
- and I sensed that this noor and those above it wer<: each cluttered with the d
ebris of lifetimes: unexamined issuc:s. symbols, and
fC:lrs - hidden anif.tcts in a dust}, basement.
As my awareness penetrated the dim light inside. I saw a desolate. empty world,
a dust-blown plateau populated onl), with
opponents and enemies.
I soon discovered that each window of each floor offered a djfferent perspecth-e
on the world. because inside the second-noor
window I vic-.ved a brighte r retlm of treo: and streams and grasses,
where couples were engagi ng in every kind of plc.\sure, and I was
filled with desire.

104
DAN MILLMAN
The third window revelled:l world of order. architcccural balance, and beauty. w
here structure rose in a creative crescendo, and
people stood straight and 1;1.11. O n this floor. I spied the gray robot.
the ConsdolL~ Self. looking out through the window of the senses.
And somehow I knc:w that the Conscious Self had ilS tiny office
here. because this w:lS the highest leve:! it could mailllain. in my
"".
My awaf':nc$S then rose to the faurln window, through which
I sawall the people of Ihe world, of every color and culture and
belief. douping arms. loving and helping one anmher and singi ng
in harmony. Feelings of compassion washed o\'cr me, and I heard
the voices of angels.
My awareness rose swiftly. then. through thc upper th rec
floors and, in a wave of rising bliss, I fdr, ~W, heard. tallIed. and
smc:lled F.n beyond fie mnge of cvcryd3Y senses. beyond Ihe veils.
as I mned in to subde energies. to other dimensions and realities.
and rhen - ah. rhe Ugh!!
In the next jarring instant. like an elevator falling. my awareness dropped down
. distracted by alarms from the lower three
fl oors - and I knew Ihat my Conscious Self would be dr.twn
down. again and again. to rhe issues of fear. sexual energy. and
power, until those issues had been cleared.
I remembered, rhen, with intense longing. that in pc:accful.
expansive moments of my childhood. I had been inviled (0 the
higher fl oors by angelic energies. I wanted so much [ 0 rellun.
because part of me had always known that abo\'C the tower, in die:
place ofUght. lay home.
This was my soul's wk. my sacred journey: As a Conscious
Self, beginning on ,he ground floor. I needed to find the lights on
C2ch rising floor and rum them on. seeing ,he issues and arrifuc[s
there - dealing with them. dearing them. But this would only be:

Towor 01 lifo
105
possible if I were first willing to see and accept what is, rather than
clinging to dreamlike illusions.
Returning to a vant:lge point out on the du:sty plain. I once
again s:!.w the tower stllnding before me, nretchins up to the he:\Vens,:J. swir
ling min of violet, pink, and gold, and a light shone 50
brightly above the tower that I couldn't fix my :mention there for
long.
The next thing I remember, I was silting, leaning againn a
tree. My eyes were wide open , but I sliII saw the tower; then it dissolved as I
came back 10 normal consciousness and saw only rhe
leaves of the kukui tree, bl owing in a warm breC"le.
I sat, unmoving. Even after all that Socrates had put me
througb during our time together, I never gOl used 10 tbese revelatory visions.
They were not like w;'ltching a movie, but r:llher,
like being in the movie. which then became a reality more intense
and real man my w:tking life. Filled wilh wonder. I [Ook a deep
breath and turned slowly to see Mama Chia sini ng quietly. not far
away. Her eyes were closed .
Finally. 1 was able to speak. ~ Whatc:vcr you did, I - I underst:lnd now, about
the: tower. ~
"No. you don't - not yet," she replied, opening her eyes.
YBur you will." Slapping the notebook shut. she :stood, and started
down the path. I jumped 10 my feel, grabbed her backpack, and
followed.
"What do you mean, 'not yerT' I called out.
Her reply w.lS almost lost in the wind. "Before you can see the
Light, you have 10 deal with Ihe darkness,"

The Jaws of Fear

Imminent hang ing shOlpcn)
0
mon's w lls.
- Samuel lohnson
"SLOW DOWN, WILL vou~ Wh:II's the hurry?" I called our as I
followed on ,he moonlit trail."
MYou'lI know when we gCI Ihere," she said. Her 10lle was dark,
and her answer gave me 110 comfort. Dodging vines :tnd bushes. I
followed as best I could.
Years before, when I practiced ro'mna.~tiC!i. fear had 1>n my
friendly adversary. Ned), e'\'C'ry day. I ;;mempled risky mm-emcmsperforming twi
sting somersaults. so;J.ring from du." high bar or on the
tr:lmpolinc. I could handle Ihal fC:3.r bec1l1SC I knew exactly what I was
afraid of, and I was in COntrol. But nOW,:l formless lerror sprc:1d like a
chill in.~ ide my chest :lnd belly. :lnd I didn't know how 10 dcal with it.
Like my first roller coaster ride as a young boy. I remembered being
pulled clickcty-cbck up the m'Cp ascent, where Ihc:re could be no IUrning oock,
where sigglcs turned to scrcmns, as we roundc.:1 the top,
Then (he bottom dropped
OUt,
and my ncn'es shredded imo (eftof,
106

The JaW5 of Fear

107
Mama Chia spoke with an urgency I hadn't heard before.
"Follow me - (his WlIy!" she comlllantlcJ, tllrning at a sharp
angle. As we headed down, nearer to the burial ground, my mind
r.lced. What could :1 graveyard h;l.\'e (0 llo with the tower? Filled
with foreboding, I fought the urge [0 run away.
"Walk eX;l.ctly where I do,~ she Solid, her voice 1I111fllc:d by the
thick air. ~ Oo not stray from this path; do )'OU unders talld ?~
We broke into a ciC3.ring. I saw gravcslOnes ahead, and my
solar plexus started cramping:u if I'd bc:c:n pUJlche:tl.
"Why are we: doing this?H I m:l.I1agc:d 10 Soly. "I - I thought
you were reaching me about (he three scl\'es.n
Mama Chia took a deep breath, turned to face: me, and gestured for me 10 follow.
Her e:xpression was somber, and another
WolVe: of felr passed up through my abdomell and che$(. This
increased my confUsion, because I had been in cemeteries before,
bUI I didn't remember wh en I had ever been this frightened. My
B:uic Sc:lf was petrified, m)' body numb, as we walked through the
ancie:m bUrlll site. I wanted (0 lell her. ~ I don't think J can do
this," but I couldn't even spc:tk. I didn't consciously know what
was frightening me. But my Basic Self knew; that much was
obvious.
The night w:u warm but my teeth were: ch:mering as I
followed Mama Chia on a narrow p:uh through the gr:weyard.
Some of the tombstones stood upright; others were tihed slightly
askew. I tiptoed C<lrefully over the graves, undl she Slopped by a
vacant sp3ce, and turned to me.
"We arc here to confront the darkness of the fim floor, " she
said, ",he realm of sUlVival, isolation, and fear. This iS :I sacred site,
protected from the eyes of ouuiders. Only bhunas :Ire buried
here. Can you feel the power of the placc:?~
"Y-yes," J stuuered.
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

108
DAN MILLMAN
"unibula. the: guardian, is hc:rc, with us now behind
you," she pointed.
I whirled around, but saw nOlhing. at firsl. Just an overpowering presen ce, a f
orce that made me: t:tkc: a ncp backward. My
body [limed to ice. It wasn't evil Ihar I fdr, but something that
could rurn me iom 3She.~ in a moment withollt blluing an eyean energy of great c
ompauion, but no mercy.
"He W:IS, and i~, :l powerful k:thun:l, and has been here.
W3tching over Maloka;, since his de:lth, four centuries ago. \Y/e
need to ask for permission to be here," she said with great rev(renee.
"How.,"
"Have: yO Il ever :ukcd permission (0 c;ntc:r someone's home?"
"Yes "
"Then I advise you to do it.
/lOU\ ~shc
hi,\Scd.
She: dosed her eyes: I did the same. As won as I dosed them,
I saw him - right in fronl ormc. in my mind's eye. I snapped my
eyes open, and so1w only the trees in the disrnnce and the gravestones in this s
mall dearing. I closed chern again, and there he was,
Staring al me willi :1 fierce bur somehow loving expression - a
large man, wearing some kind of ceremonial Hawaiian headdress.
He looked as if he could embrace me or wipe me off thc f:lce of
the earrh. I was reminded of Shiva, the Hindu god - the
changer, the trnnsformer, the destroyer.
Silently. respecrfully, I asked for his pcrmission {Q be there,
explaining my search. All this happened in a few seconds. He
smiled. nodded. and faded ou( of my vision.
"So be it,~ 1 heard Mama Chia say.
Almost immediately, the armosphere changed. 1was bathed in
a warm breeze, where before the wind had blown cold on the back
of my neck. I opened my e)es.
Mama Chia nodded. "He said you arc welcome here," she said.

The J a ws 0 1 fea r
109
"r think he aemally likes you. That is a very good sign. ~ She reaehed
behind one of Ihe gravcstollcs,
I relaxed. ~I'm glad to hear til - ~ I stopped abruPII)' as she
slapped a sho\eI into my hand and led me to a bate Sp Ot in the
earth.
"lime to dig. ~
"Wlmt I did a double mke.
"Dig here," she said, ignoring my reaction.
" Dig~ Herd A hole? Are we looking for something?"
"A grave. ..
"Loo k ,~ I said. "I'm a grown man; I make respomible choices.
Before I Slart, I'd really like to know w l1:l1 this is about."
"And I'd rc:Ul)' like you to stOp lalking:tnd start digging, ~ she
responded,
" Whal you :lrC: about 10 do is necc5.!lary - based on a lihcron
ritual tbat involvcs facing all your fc:lr5. If someone who chooses
this way is unretrared, it can rC!.ult in permanent psychosis. I feel
you're ready. but there is no way to be cermin of it. Are )'ou willing 1"0 go ah
ead?"
Theet it was: Do or die. Or nl:lyhe: Do ttlld die. Socrates once
told me r could "get off lhe bus" anytime I wished - if! was willing to let it p
ull away without me,
"r ha\'c to know now,
Dan."
I jerked my head tow.:lrd her as if I'd been sbpped. "Oh, uh.
well I paused to take a breath, and decided to follow the
course I'd always set for myself: When a challenge was there, I
went fo r it. "V-yes," I stammered, "It- ready as I'll e\'er b-be."
This was ahom F.\cing fear, 50 I Slarted 10 dig. The earth W:l.S
soft, and the work weOl f;L'l rer th;J n I'd expecled. As Mama Chi"
watched. her arms folded. I starled with a two~foot-w iJe channel
and lengthened it (0 about six feet. The hole deepened to three
fect. then four. I was swenting profusely now, The deeper I dug,
M

110
DAN MILLMAN
and the more it
gOI
to looking like a grtt\'C, the less I liked this.
And I hadn't been all that enthusiastic to begin with.
My fi:ar expanded, then turned to anger. "No," I said, climb
ing Out of the: growe. "I don't have: to do chis, and J don't want to
play mysterious fr-lmcs in gravc=yards without knowing what it's
about. I'm not some: pup~r! Who is this grave: for~ Why am I
doing thisr' I dem:tndcd.
Mama Chia slared at me: for what sc:emed like a minute:, then
said. "Come here:. ~ She: led me: [0 a nearby gravcstone and pointed
to the: epitap h written there:. I peered at it.
The: writing was old and faded; I cOlild just make it out:
Rmltmbn; /rima. as you PIlJI by.
AI you II" now. 10 onu lVas /.
Ar / am now, 10 you must ht.
~pa" yourstl[ to follow mt.
r looktd over at her f.tce, dead serious. '" think yOIi know who
this grave: is for," she: responded.
I Stood and faced her. "I have a choicc ht're," I 53id.
"You always h:l.ve a choice," she agrd. ~ You em stan digging, or catch the next
surfboard home."
I didn't think she meant it - about the SUrfb03rd - but it
W:l.S clear mat if I wanted to continue as her student, I was going
to have to ~cc this through. I had come this fiu. I h:lu to see where
it led. Managing a wan smile, I said, ~Well, since you PUt it 50
nicely." I climbed back down into the grave, nnd continued
digging until she said, ~Th;lt's deep enough. H:\IId me the shovel
and come on out,"
"You me:m I'm done?"
.",
v

The Jowt 01 feor

lJl
"Whoa, 1 have to admit - that was pretty fTightening, all
right," 1 nid, climbing up OUt of the d.,mp Gr.l.ve and haying the
shovel nearby. "But all in all, it wasn't too bad. ~ I stretched my
weary muscles.
"Lie down here,~ she ~id, pointing to a sheet she h2d placed
on the ground next to the open grave.
"Another mass~ge? Docsn't this mike you as a liule 5trange?~
I asked.
She wasn't smiling. JUSt poindng. I lay down on my stomach.
"On your back," she said.
I turned over and st:l.red up at her, standing above me. "Now
do I pl2Y dead, or what1"
She gave me a fierce look. "Sorry," I said. "I guess I'm just a
little nervous."
"This is no game; if you offend the spirits here, you'll h::ave a
lot more to be: nervous about."
Trying to relax, I said, "Well, 1 could we 3. rest."
"A long rest," M::ama Chi::a said, picking up the shovel, and
bringing la bl::ade down. I threw my arnu up protectively, thinking
for an instant that she was about to stab me with it, but she planted
it firmly into the earth beside the grave. Then she knelt down
behind my head, on the edge of the grave, and dosed her eyc.s.
Lying there, I gazed up at her face, upside down in my vision.
and pale in the moonlight. For a terrible moment of par:l.noia, I
fel( I didn't really know this woman at all. Maybe she wasn't the
one Socratcs sent me to; maybe she was the Enemy.
She began to speak in a voice that resounded through the burial ground. She spok
e an invootion, and I knew this was
definitely no game.
"Great Spirit, called by many names," she intoned, ~we ask to
be placed in the Light, We:uk for your protecrion for this soul. In
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dC!CC I1Q5 00 MID'

112
DAN MILLMAN
die n:l.lne of the One, and widllhat authority. we:l5k that any and
all evil be cut ofT and removed from him, sealed in its
and rc:rurnc:d
to
OW I1
light,
its source. \Vlc ask ,hat whacncr may come be for
his highest gaotl. May thy will be
dOllt,"
The metallic rure of fear rose in my throat. Then Mama Chia
slowly bq;:U1 pressing. with her knuckles. along my colb rbollc,
chcst, and :ums - gendy :Jt lirst, then widl increasing pressure:. [
saw fla shes of light :1g.1ill, then heard popping sounds. Then she
smbbcd my head as Socratcs had done. years before. My teeth
startcO to chatter. rhen the curtain of d.1tkncss descended.
I HEARD THE WIND, felt the dllst blow in my face, and saw the
lowc:r ditccdy in front of me. This didn't feel like a disembodied
vision, wit h my awatcness merely an observer. [looked down and
saw my body. I
W:l.~ luff'.
Then 1 was standing in (he doonvay. The huge door swung
open, like a gaping mOllth, and I entered, stepping into thin air. I
fell, somersaulted, and landed in a heap. J quickly stood and
looked around, but bardy made oue anything in the (larkness.
"This mUlt be the first noor - the basement," I said. My voice
sounded mumed. My clothing dung co my skin, and the dank air
and fetid smell of decay was somehow familiar. Find the lights, I
said to mysc:l( Be willing to su.
Before, I had only looked through [ile windows of the tower.
Did I re.llly want to sec what lay inside me, in this, the lowest
n:alm~
~Yes,"
I answered our loud. "Yes, I want to sec." I proCi."Cded
forward slowly, rc:lching out in the darkness. My h:Uld fell something - a large
handle, a $witeh. I pulled it, heard a humming
sound that cbanged to a soft whoosh, and squimed as dim lights
510wly beb':lll to illuminate the scene in front of me.

Th. Jo .... , of fear

113
Why was it still so dark? As my e:yes adapte:d, the: answe:r
came. ( had entered the tower and fallen to the first fl oor, but it
somehow containe:d the: night it~df and the same: burial ground
- (he: graveyard of the: kahuna~ , But thi~ time:. I didn't fe:e:1 wei
come: at all. And this time, I was alone:. I saw the gaping hole: of
the: ope:n gr:lve: neathy. My body bt'gan to shiver; my mind
e:rossed the: border of ne:rvousness, ove:r the: raw edge of fear M I
was pulled by an unseen force toward the: open grave. I turned
and twisted, levitating in the air. Then my body became as stilT
as a corpse: in rigor mortis as I floate:d down on the: sheet next to
the grave:.
I tried to get up, but I couldn't move:. My lungs smrted pumping, breathing d~pc
:r, fuster, de:t'pc:r, fuster. Then I hC"..lrd Mama
Chia's voice:, from far away: MYour Higher Sdfis your guardian angel:
whatever happens. remember that it will always hc: with you .... "
W", (4111 Ifirl it wid) mrr I cried out. \~/IJ do I fori "lollr?M
In answer, I heard Mama Chia'~ recem words echo back to
me: "Before you e:a n see the Light. you h:lve to deal with tht'darkness ....
Then somt'thing pusht'd me:. Par..llyu:d. I had no comrol; I
couldn't resist. I fell, rumbling down in slow motion. landing on
my back with a soundless thud in the: open grave:. A sheet was
wr:apped around me: like: a shroud. Then. in a monlent of absolute
terror. I (dt shovdsful of dirt rain down omo me:. My he:Jn began
to pound wildly in my chest.
J heard the sound of distant rhunder. FlilShes of lightning
exploded in the darkness. Then, as din covt'rcd me. I hc:J rd the voice
of Jesus. But he wasn't speaking to me as he: cried out from the: cross
at Golgotha as lightning flashed: MWlry ',,1St ,holl foT'1llkm mt'?"
Then I te:all~d that I wa5 calling out those worth. It didn't
matter, no one could heac me. Tht' shower of earth had covered
R
M;,lc'ial p'o~por dcre<:ho:s do mJlor

"4
DAN MIllMAN
my face completely. blotting out any remaining light and mumi ng
the sound of my screams.
IVtiil! I thought. I'm not ready! I can'l! Stop! I'm /lot drad! my
mind
~ hri ('k('d.
The carrhfull ((':\Sed. I fell a STillness and ~ il encc more complete than any
I've ever known. Alii could hea r was my labored
breathing and pounding heart. like: a kenlc drum. Alone in the
cold earth. Absolute blackness. Isolation. Frozcn, gut-ripping fC3f.
I was buried.
An insranr of rational reflection: Why did I let this
Then dl3t. tOO, W:IS smo!lIC,-rell, and I fdl
O\'CT
happcn~
the edge: of madness. My hands. clawlikc, desper:m:. pushed upward agai nst the
impossible: weight. Soundless screams. JUSt as the earth began to
crlllh the: air Out of my lungs, the ground beneath me suddenly
caved in. and I fell infO an underground tunnel. Clawing wildly,
gagging :md choking. spitting din ou[ of my mouth and nose. I
fought my wa)' free of the moist earth.
I began crawling. slirhering like a snake. on my belly, up or
down - I couldn't tell which - through a long runnel. I had to
get OUt. QUI! OUt, OUt, OUt, OUt, .. repeated iuelf in a thythmic
babble of dread. I could only squct"zc forward; there was no way
[Q turn :lround. Soon. terrified. I noticed the tunnel was getti ng
narrower, tighter. until I could sc:trcdy move.
Once.:IS a child. bullies had stuffed me into a burlap sack and
thre:uenw to hury me. Inslead they stuck me in an old storage
trunk. Trapped in die blacknCSli. I went absolUlcly bersak drooling, wetting mys
elf. hysreric:tl. My crazy screams must have
worried Ihem, so they let me OUI.
EYer si nce then, I'd had recurring drc:ams abom being trapped
in small (I:.rk places. Now my worn nigillmarc.~ had been reali7.cu;

The Jaws af Feor

115
I felt sheer. unendurable terror. I was so afraid. I jlJ.\t wanted to go
unconscious. 10 die.
My eyes stinging with swear and dirt. I fought on. n~rrowing
my shoulders, but it was no usc. I could go no farther. Noises of
desperation_ fright mixed with cries of anguish, were quickly
exdnguished. I W3..'l slUck. 5uffocating; I slarted to sctc3.m ~b>;lin, to
whimper.
Bur - was my imagination playing tricks? - I thought I nw
a dim light somewhere ahead. I man;lged (0 sQ U('C7..e a few inches
more and nw around a slight curve in the tunnel. The tunnel
opened slightly. just enough. I inched m)' way. ~'weating, with dirt
falling in my eyes. toward the light.
Now it was imprinted deep in my body's menlory: When~'cr
I could go no farche r, I would renlember - just a few more
inehes. JUSt a few more: minutes. JUSt a few more seconds ...
1 looked up through clouded vision, and thought I saw an
opening ahead. Yes. I was sure of it! I reached it and tried to
squCC7.C my head through. I W3..'l stuck! Too right! My head fdt
crushed by a II,ous.1nd hands. Desperately. I pushed. The opening
stancd to give. then. suddenl)" I burst through. Space! Frc:cdom!
Like being born.
Blindly. I pulled the rest of my body our. then fell into an
abyu. Below mc. impos.sibly. I saw the gaping mouth and f.1ngs of
a gigantic serpent, and I plummeted.
I REMEMBER, I W3..'l silting ir~ a room I'd never
seen before, huddled in the corner. gripped by paranoia. Outside.
the: Enemy was W'Jiling for me. All of them. No one: understood. I
was alone. but I would survive. TIley wanted what I had - a ncarby
storage freC7.Cr with food. I'd kill the bastards first! On a small table
next to me lay ca.ses of ammunition. Surrounded by a v:ariery of
THE NEXT THING

"6
DAN MILLMAN
carbines and semiautomatics,
r wore
a shoulder holster with a
Glock nine mil1imclcr, its clip holding nineteen rounds, inscncd.
the safc[), off. Crndling an AK 47 in my arms. I srared fixedly
at the door, waitins for them. Thcy would not take what was
mine. I'd kill them first -I'd kill them all.
A canister exploded through the window. and ~uddcn ly d,e
room was aflame. In an instant, I was engulfed by searing heat.
The air was sucked from my lungs and my skin Sfarced w melt.
That moment, I remembered a past life as a young girl, hiding in
a tfunk, hiding from the Huns, burning [ 0 dc;uh in a room fult of
flames rather than being raped and enslaved.
The flames shot up nod I saw the beginning of the earth:
volcanoes OI:pJoding everywhere, burning
1.1\'3
se:.ring everything
in its p;l.Ih.
And in the heat. the burning heat, I relived C'o'C1)' nightmare of my
childhood, every ft.':!.r tim h:Ld ever visitoo or fOreN itself upon ntt'.
I OI'ENED
MY EYES.
I was lying on my bat'k ar the bOllom of my
gmve. on a sweatsoaked sheet. But I wasn't covered with dirt,
Realizing whctc I W2$ - and that I was holding my brC1uh - I
let it Out with one huge gasp and began to calm down. Exh:1ust~
and diso riented. I was glad to be alive. It W;l$ a dream, It was over,
t would sit up and climb out. But my legs wouldn't work; neither
would my aom.
I heard sometlling above me. "Mama C hi:t ~" I cilled wt'"Jkly.
~Js that you?" There was no answer - on ly a soft. padding noise.
Someone, or somelhing, ,vas approaching. from above.
I heard a soft growl, Ihen the face of a dger appeared abo\'e
me. There arc no tig,ers in the min foresl$ of Hawaii; still, this w:cs
:1 liger, looking down at me. I Stared back; I couldn't take my eyes
offil. I'd seen ligers in the zoo - so bc.1U(iful, like big pussy ca rs.

The Jaws of Feor

117
This one was so close I could smell its breath. Oh, please, I said 10
myself. Let this be a. d~alll .
Completely hdpless, 1 played dead, until it reached down and
prodded me, giving me four deep test gashes. I gasped and uttered,
a brief. stifled cry.
The riger reached down, clamped its jaws on my arm, and
dtagged my limp form up out of the gtave, then began ripping me
apart. I'd fdt pain before - scaring pain - but now I understood
agony.
I tried to go unconscious, to leave my boc.ly, 10 dissociate. But
I was attached enough (0 experience fully the beast tearing open
my chest and abdomen, and chewing on my organs.
Shockborne adrenaline poured through my body. I fell
screaming into a cauldron of terror as the hugc cat ripped my
chest asunder. Then, clamping his jaws around my fa ce and head,
the beast tore away part of my face in a seesawing motion, and
began to pull my hcad from my shoulders. Fc:tr is the ultimate
pain. It filled my universe. then eJ[ploded.
Instantly. the ft.1r. the: pain. the tiger. and the universe: all vanished. What
remaine:d was the dcept!St peace: I had ever known.
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dC!CC I1Q5 00 MID'

,
'>'
Realm of the Senses
God gave
1.15
so that we might hove
memories
rO$OS
in December.
- Jomo5 Bordo
I UY CU R1.ED ON MY SID!!, next lO the growe, my he:ld in M:t ma
Chia's lap. The sheer. 50akcd with sweat and maybe [cars. was
twisted bcnc:nh me. I sat up, unable to speak, my eyes wide, Slating at nothing. I rocked back and forth. huggins myself and shivering_Mama C hia
cmbncc::d me pro1(cd\'(~ly, making my maned
hair. ~Thcn::. thcre,~ she said, ~ It's over now. It's really o\'cr.~
A few more moments p3SScd. Slowly. I realized I scill had eyes,
and
face. and a body. I w:u safe, here in M:lma Chia's arnlS. I
relaxed; then my chest heaved, my breathing came ot![ in gasps.
Panting. I gripped her hand and st:ullnmccl, "It - it f-fdt
II
like a (Our of hdl ."
~O n[y
your hell, Dan we each create our own. You just
toured the first floor, the realm of isolation and fear, of mindless
inu;nct to survive:lt :lny price.
liB

R.olm Qf th. S.n l .1

119
"Warriors confront their demon~ head-on; by doing so, you've
dissolved them," she saill gcn rly.
My breathing finally calmed, and I fell into an exhausted sleep.
WHEN I AWOKE, the sky was light. "Is it dawn?" I asked wL-akly.
She stood, pointed :around us, and said. "What do you
"odce?~
I stood slowly, drained of all tension, and looked around. A
bird landed on a gravcslOne and began to warble; its song carried
up inlO the blue sky. Lime green liehen and moss deeorated the
stones; a feeling of peace and reverence pervaded the scene.
"It's different." I 5.1id.
"No," she replied. ~YOllare."
"You mCOln I've dean:d fear from my life once and for all?"
"Fear will still :l.rise - but you\'e changed your relationship
to it. You'll know how to deal wirh il."
"If I weren't afrnid of :mything, wouldn't that be dangerous?"
"Yes. Fear is a natural response of the body, but you em release
me tension. you an breathe through it, and aet or remain stillwhatever is nceded
. FCOIr is no longer your master; now it is your
servant. You will sec a different world through the windows of the
.second noor.
"But me first floor isn't only about fca.r and sun'ival; it's about
'self ag:linst the universe,' about the self-protective hoarding of
energy for oneself. Now, open and vulnerable, you're ready to
bring th:u energy fully into life, to shart it in relationship."
"You mean I'm ready 10 find door number [wo?"
"You already found it, Here, in my :ums, when you cried." As
she said this, Mama Chia IMgan to shimmer, :lnd she dissolved
into the air, right in front of my Slartlcd eyes, Then, everything
around me vanished. , saw a flecling image of Ihe tower. and

120
DAN MillMAN
found myself sranding in a sylvan glade, on the second floor. I was
certain of it.
BUT WHAT DOES IT Ml!AN? I rulked myself 35 I surveyed the rich
meadow. bathed in soft sunlight and cool brce'LCs. This could have
betn an idyllic forest in lusty old England. "Strange. n I caught
myself saying out loud. ~ Why did I think of the word 'lusty'?"
Then, gradu:ll ly, I became increasingly aware of ellergy, build
ing up in my whole hody - morc energy than I 11:\(1 fclt in years.
I fdt so awake: and alive! I had ro 010\'(, to let the energy fly.
Sprinting through the fOfcst, I reI! as if I cou ld run miles and
miles. I It.'aped, I tIIrncd handsprings, and then I ran some more.
Fin:Jlly. I rested in the warm sunshine:. Somehow, the: SC:l$o ru
had changed. Spring
W3S,
as they say. in the air. when a young
man's f.1nC}' turns to ... .
The energy starred building up again 3S a familia r, uncomfortable pressure in m
y loins. Mama Chia had said the second floor
dealt with "energy in rd:l.liollship." T har meant creative energy,
sexual energy. But what w;u I going 10 do with it?
Om of nowhere, I could hcar the words of Socrates, from
years before. "Every human capaciry,~ he said, "is amplified by
energy. The mind b~omes brighter. healing accelerates, strength
increases, imagination intcnsifies, cmodonal power and charisOl:l
expand. So energy can be a blessing ... "
Yes, 1 said to m}'SCIf. I felt all those things.
"But energy muS( flow somewhere," his VOlce continued.
"Where energy meets ohmuctions, it burns - and if energy
builds up beyond wnat a given individual can toler-lte, it demands
release. Anger grows into rage, sorrow turns to despair, concern
become., obsession, and physical aches become agony. So energ>,

Realm
a~
Ihe Son,e,
121
can also be a cum. Like a river, it can bring life, but untamed
it can unleash a raging flood of dcstruction."
"What can I do now?M I asked, talking [Q the air.
Memories of Socrates' voice echoed from the past: "The body
will do whatever it has to in order to bleed off' excess energy. If it
isn't spent consciowly. in creative endeavors md physical activity,
the urge for rdease will take the form of angry outbursts, or cruelty, or nightm
ares, or crime, or illness, or abuse of alcohol,
tobacco, other drugs, food, or sex. Blocked energy - and the
desire to feci release - is the source of all addictions. Don't try (0
manage the addictions: irultead, clear the obstructions."
I was so distracted by the building pressure that I could bardy
concentrate. The energy continued to grow, demanding release. I
could run some more, or I could make something - yes, something creative. That's
it, I decided. I'll make up a song. But all I
could come up with was "There once was a beaut from Killervy,
whoSC' body was nubile and CUrvyi a man found her there, in her
lace underwear, and . .. "
I couldn't think ofa damn ending; I couldn't think at all. I just
wanted a woman. Any woman.
I was about to rake care of this surging dciire myself when I
remembered that this I~el of the tower was about bringing energy
into rtlAtiomhip. D:amn! How was I going to manage that?
The next instant, I found mysc:lf in a cave - not a gloomy,
foreboding cave, but what appeared to be a luxurious bedroom.
Thick rugs overlapped on the floor; rays of sunlight bathed the
room through a namral skylight. The entrance, concca.lcd by a
thick growth of small trees :md bushes. rendered (he place completely invisible
to outsiders.
In the center of the cave stood a sleeping pl:atfonn. covered by
a thick bed of soft le2vcs, a few feet off the ave floor. I heard the
Mnlcrial Plot'!lido PO< dc.cchos do nlllor

122
comfoning
OAN MILLMAN
trickl~
of a loYdy waterfall pouting into a miniature
pond and smelled the sweet fragrance of wildflowen;.
Then I gasped wirh surprise and (:xciu:mclH ;u a son brc(.""/,c
blew o\'cr my entire body; a sensual wind, a beaUliful ghost,
caressed me with invisible hands. I felt a onenw with the (';uth
and with all my physic;al senses, now amplifiw. I WllS so happy to
have this body. [0 feel the body, (0 be the body completdy.
All I needed was a 103 of bread. a jug of wine, and - I could
forgo the bread and wine. hut .,.
What was that? Was that voices I heard? Female voices?
I peered out through the leafy door and saw a picture of an
arlist's dream. The piclUre would be titled MaidnIJ of Sprillg.
Three young women, all voluptuous, were laughing, running
under some apple trees, their rosy check., rdleeting the reddish
slow of Ihe fruil above. They WOTe dark. flowing skirts and lowcut, frilly blous
es that highlighted their feminine charms. I felt like
a hormonc--crazcd teenage voyeur as I spied on these women.
'Iwo of Ihem waved good-bye. and the third. a flaxen-haired
:lnge! whose green eyes flashed in the sunlight, stopped, looked
left and right, then, smiling, r.tn su'Jighr for my hiding pl:tcc.
"Oh, damn!" I said to myself, h:tlf afr:lid she was going 10 find me
here, half af'J.id she wasn't.
She slipped into the cave and saw me standing ,here like a
love-starved lunatic. Her eyes met mine, and grew larger.
t started to speak but my voice was stilled as she fell into
my arms.
My mind was empty. except for three words: TIJallkyo/l, God.
Then passion overtook me completely. We laughed, we cried,
we were losr in c3ch OIher. I don't know Wh31 happened to our
clOIhing; whatever gOt in the way of our union w:u caS( aside.
'lime passed; I don't know how long. We lay there. cradling each
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
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R~oJrn
01 tho
S~n$U
123
orner, completely spent, asleep in each other's arms. But not for
long.
When I awoke, she s[Ood o\'er me, draped in a robe made of
flowers, Her angelic face, surrounded by silken hair, shone in the
soft light. She let the robe slip off her shoulders; her luminous skin
shone like a baby's.
For a moment. questions arose - Who was she? Should I be
doing rnis? - but only for a moment.
She knelt dowl! and kissed me on the forehead, then on my
checks. then lips and chest and worked her way down from there.
Sexual ene:rgy coursed through me as Bacchanalian images
appeared in my mind - ritcs of fertility. earthy. sensual- and
deep within me I heard and felt the pulsating beat of drums. She:
kisse:d my body until it hummed and throbbed to the beat of the
drums, and my questions fell away like leaves on a windy day.
I drew her [Q me. we cradled each other. and I returned. in
kind. what she had given until there was no her, and no me. Only
us, then one. and wild, mindless sexual play I had experienced in
rare moments when my mind was rrcc and my heart open. But
now it intensified manyfold - not jUst because she was :l desirable woman, but b
ecause 1 was so ... open. Having just faced the
blacken death, I was now fully capable of cclelm.ting life and all
that it entailed. The monk inside had succumbed to Zorba the
Greek. Nothing nood bctv.'ccn me and life.
The: feeling intensified many times over, as wavcs of pleasure
pulsated, not just in my loins. but in I,.'\'cr)' ccll in my body, But I
was t:lkcn sliglnly aback, JUSt for a moment, when I noricc:d Ihat
I was making love with :t man. And the man was me - Dim
Millman!
I sat up with a shock. [ looked down at my hands. my
legs, my breastl: I was a woman! J was her! J fe lt her insides. her

".
DAN MILLMAN
~mo[ions.
hcr energy soft. bur srrong. The: energy now was
different than I was accustomed to, and j n my state I could sense
a larger, more sensitive emotional aura. II fdt so good - like :l
complerion.
Then we embraced again. and I lost all serue of separation. I
was her, I was him, I was her and him.
I stayed with the body. I trusted it. Undulating in ecstasynaked. free of any as
sumed limits. I was skin; I was nerves and
muscle and blood - tingling. pulsing. dc:lighting in the realm of
the scn$(s. Shape5, touching. moinness, sucking, srmking. feeling,
throbbing. smooth. warm r entered the moment completely.
We werc locked in a passionate enlbrnce building like a W3\'C,
rncing toward the shore, when she vanished. No! my body cried
out, frantic with wandng. Overcome by both desire and sorrO\.... I
fell the snarc:s of the .second floor.
( S3t up, paming, rC:ldy to explode, the energy churned inside
me like a Clged pallther, pacing madly, seeking eSClpe. I reached
ou( to pleasure myself when again something stopped me - '"
undersl:l.nding that I had to lISt the energy, circulate it. I didn't
fight my body; J didn't deny it - inste:ld, I breathed, deeply :lnd
slowly, until the force of desire spread from my senirnls UpW:lrd,
up my spine, up my corso, 10 Ihe lips of nly fingers and toes :lnd
Ihe eenler of my brain.
My mind became light. A gateway had opened; energy rose up
from the t:1f1h itself. Ihrough my spine. Energy th:1I had been
trapped below now flowed upward. I r3.Sled rile purity of being,
Ille body elemic, singing.
BUI I wllSn't fully prepared for Ihis, or pr:l.clieed, :l.nd despile
the good intentions of my Conscious Self, my B:lSic Self :lpp:lr~
endy had olher ideas. The waves cominucd, growing stronger,
until I could SlOp it no longer. Images passed through my mind

Reolm of Ihe Senlel

125
like nocturnal fantasies, body patlS, moaning sweetness, and suddenly, inevitabl
y. though not of my own accord, the tidal wave,
the pulsing wave. crashed into the shore, and subsided.
After a time. I stood up. I felt a gentie, unaccountable sorrow.
a sense of loss - not in my mind, but in my body. Perhaps it
mourned the loss of th:n brightness, that ellergy. She was gOlle; the
object of my desire had 'r.I.nished. as all objccu do. Now, there was
only the wind blowing Ihrough the trCC!. Until Mama Chia
appeared, In:loppillg me back (0 whatever reality I could hold on to
in my present state.
I stood naked before her; she could sec my body and my
mind. She knew everything about me, and all that 1 had just experienced. And she
accepted me completely, as I was. Any traces of
embarr;assment dissolved. J stood before her, naked and unconcerned, like an inf
ant. There was no shame in being SCCII. no disgrace in being human.
On the first floor. I had broken the thread of fear, now. I
broke the thread of shame. For the remainder of my days, however
long that might be, I would allow life energy to flow freely
through me. I would learn how to usc it wisely, choosing where (0
channel it. celebrating life. but not c:xploiting it. I was not a master of ener
gy, by any means, but I was a willing apprentice.
Two thinV happened in quick succession: I saw that I \'nS now
fully dothed, and then my surroundings, the ClIve and glade beyond,
flickered and vanished. Neither of these: things surprised me.
found lIle standing somewhere
high in the mountains. The wind whistled loudly past rocky crags
and granite crevices, almost drowning out Mama Chia's voice
behind me:.
"Come," she said. ~lIme to move on."
My NUT MOMENT 01' AWARENESS

DAN MILLMAN
126
MJ w:u a[one before:; why 3re you with me now?~ I :ukcd, my
voice echoing mangely from Ihe cliffs facing over a deep gorge.
Myou had to be alone beroft:; now yo u're in relationship with
the world. Besides. we're in dream time, and I wasn't doing any~
thing. Welcome: 10 lhe third floo r.~
As we hiked upward, I g;uh.:rcd mength from the ground
heneath mc, from the stones, the trees, the wind flesh. No longer at
W:lt
with
olY
flesh of my
body, accepting my physical
imperfections, trusting my own human nature, I fdt a closer connection to the ca
nh.
We found a small lake, and swam through the cool waters,
then lay on warm rocks to dry. My body opened
10
the natural
world; I fclt the: lakes serenity. the river's power, the stability of the
mountain and the lightness of the brn"l.C.
Mama Chia looked over at me. ~In this place, I fed what you
fl, I am what yo u are, ~ she Mid. Myou just shape-shifted - at
least the beginning siages."
"I did?~
~you did. Sh~pe-shifting begins with a gesture ofimaginaliona seIUC of curios ic
y and wonder. What would it fed like co be a mOlintain, a I.akc, a bird, a stone
? Later, you learn to rt:SOtl.1lC with me different frequencies of these demems
or beings. We humans have lhe
power to do mis because, after all, we're made of the same spirit.
"And s~:l.king of sh:l.pe-shifling, I think you know I was
attuned to you in that cave on the second floor. Quile an adventure!" she .said.
"Made me fed young agai n."
"You'll ;UW:l.ys be young," I said.
"You're right :l.bOUf ,hat," she s.1id widl a smile. "Undlthe day
I die .. "
"You'll probably outlive me:1( this
rate.~
She looked deep into my eyes. Her gau: made me sad, though
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de

hos 00 a Jlor

Roolm 01 the Son$t$

127
I didn't know why. I saw the love in her eyes, hut also something else
- a concern, all intuition - but I couldn', fadlOm what it meant.
Mama Chia quelled my preoccupations as she led me forn'ard,
reminding: me of the lessons of the second noor: "You created your
own experience, Dan , just as you did on the first noor; you experienccd exactly
what you needed. The energies arc the same for
everyone; the experience is different. Each of us chooses how to
respond to and channel our energy. Some hoard it; others squander it. The warrio
r channels the now of life energy like a farmer
irrigating his crops.
"On the fi rsr floor, alone and fighting for survival. you fearfully hoard the e
nergies of life like :llonely miser with his money;
because the energies arc blocked, they cause pain.
"On the second floor. you arc in a relationship with life. with
other people; both the male and fema le princil,les are ~cti\'1! and
in balance.
"The second floor is nOl jUst ahout sex; it's :lbout celebrating
the energy of life. Energy is Spirit; energy is sacred. You h:lve a
choice hefore you each t.by, whether you wjJJ master the energy of
your life. or squander it. The myth of Pandora's box is not
ahout leuing mischievous imps or demons au[ of a container; it
is about ways of dealing with life energy. When energy is thrown
away without purpose or wisdom. you fed an instinctive loss of
life. a sense of sorrow."
"Why 50rrow?~ 1 asked.
" Fcar is the sh:ldow side of Iht! fitS! levd," she answt!red.
"Sorrow is the sh:ldow side of the second."
"And ,he third?" I said. "What do you have pl~nned for me now1"
Mama Chia only smiled.

Flying on Wings of Stone

N o t~lf'\g
180 1 coo be loreOl8/'18d . No thing uoreo l
e)(lli l~ .
Therein lies Ihe peace 01 God .
- A Cours., in Miraclel
MAMA CHIA LIlD
Mil
through
:1
rocky canyon, through a short
IUnnd of stone, then up onto a narrow [tail along the spine of a
r:rrorback ridge. wFim, let's sit here a while. ~
She closcd her eyes. Not wanting to disturb her with qucsdons. I did likewise. T
here wasn't much else TO do up here. or so J
'hougl",
When I opent'rl my eyes again, I could sec the sun scning over
the f.1.[ western edge of whcrCVt'r-wc-wcrc. Then M3111:J. Chia
opened her eyes and handed me some corn and nuts from her
ncvcr-cmpry backpack. ME;H this; you'll need it."
"Why do I have to cat~This is a dream, isn't it? Come to think
of it." I noticed, "th is floor feels more re:!.llhan the others. This ;J
some kind of vision, isn't ic?"
Ignoring me, she said, "The third level is about power, not
power over ochers - chac is che negative side - but personal
128
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

Flying 0/'1 Wing5 of Slono

129
power over the impulses of the Basic Self and the desires of the
ego, Here you find the challenges of self-discipline. clear intention. duty, res
ponsibility, focus, commitment, will- those things
that most apprentice humans find so difficult,
"Now that you've cleared the second level and have a sense of
connection to othcrs. your attention is freed for higher impulses. It
will be easier for you (0 r:lke OIhers' needs into account as well,
though true :thruism doesn't exist on the third floor. Your Basic Self
is still in control. but bettcr disciplined. \'V'hat you do for others,
you do OUt of duty and responsibility. Love still dudes you. ~
"Are you saying I can', really love?" I asked. disturbed by her
sratement.
"There arc many kinds of lo\'e , ~ she said. "JuS[ as there arc
many kinds of musie or films or food or drink. There is first-floor
love, limited (Q the most primitivc, even abusive. sexual encounters. Second-flo
or love is viml and pleasure-oriented, and the
panner is also taken into account. Third-floor love is an nnful,
. . prac[Jce.
."
conSCientIOus
'" asked you about love, and you k<.'Cp talking about sex."
"Until you arc settled on the founh floor, that's about it."
"Go on."
"No need to; you get the idea."
"What about the love on rhe higher floors: "
"Let's deal with that when you're ready," she said. "Just understand mat me worl
d mirrors your level of aw:ueness. Like attracts
like - :lOd people whose home base is the first floor arc attracted
to firsr/loor kinds of music, books. films, drink, food, SpOrts. and
so forth. The same is true of the second and third floors. Uncil
your awareness rests stably on the foutll. floor. in the: heart, your
motives arc ultimately sclfserving.~
"You're saying that when my awareness (<.'Sides more on the:
fourch level, r won't be ~o sdf-ccnu:rcd?"
Millc.;.ll pro'cOido pot dCPCC I1Q5 00 MID'

130
DAN MillMAN
~We'rc
all sdf-centc:n=d, Dan - the quesrion is, which 'self'
arc you c<:nlc:rro on - die Basic Self, Conscious Self, or Higher
Self? And as youraw:ucness rises from the third to the fourth level,
you perceive and experience: a different kind of life: - you begin
to live as a Higher Sdfin the world,"Wbat does all that have to do with where we are now?" I
asked, gesturing tolWrd the: moullIain peak on which we stood.
"I'm glad you :lSkc:d me that," she said. "Because I have a small
taSk for you mat may help you rise beyond the third floor, " she:
said, as we stepped around an Outcropping of rock, ::md she pointed
to a narrow, level but rocky path about fifty yards long.
~What am I supposed to dot' I asked.
"For sf:trtc:rs, walk along this path as far :as you c:tn; see what
there is to sec."
~Door
number four?"
She shrugged and, with a graceful gesture, poime-d [he- way.
t w:likt"d carefully down the- narrow ridge: but Stopped short as
I came to the edge of:;l precipice - : ; I chasm th:;l[ dropped to nmh
ingness as f.u as I could see - ma.ybe two thOlJS;llld fect stnight down. I took
:t 5[(:P back from [he: dizzying height and
looked across the gaping :J.byss at the opposite clitl wall about
thirty feet away. h looked as ifdle: mountain peak had been sliced
in half by a gigantic knife.
Sudde:nly behind me. Mama Chia said, "1be door is mere."
She poimed across rhe abyss to a small ledge, lillie more: than an
jndentation on the: opposite cliff wall. But. sun: enough, there djd
appear to be a doofW3y there. MAll you have fO do is leap across."
I gauged the distance again - obviously tOO f.tr to jump. 1
looked I? Mama Chia to sec: if she was joking. He:r face: showed no
sign that she was.
"That's not possible," I argued. "First of all, it's twentynve or
thirty fe:e:t away, and I'm no long jumper. And even if I made the
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dc'e<::11O$ do nulor

Flying
O il
Willg1
01
131
S i ono
jump. if I miss tkll n~rrow ledge I'll sh m into the d in' face and
sl ide dowl} to oblivion."
~ You're not afraid, are yo u?" she asked.
"No, not TC;llly - but I'm not stupid, cither. It's suicidal."
She loo ked at me with an irritating, know-it-all smile.
"I ~ aid no. No t a chance."
She wa ited.
~ This im't a dream now," I bellowed. "And I'm not a bird."
"It com be done," she 5" id, pointing across the eha~ m,
I started to walk with her back up the w lil, s1"Lking my head.
"This isn't ;)bout fe~r. Mama C hia - yo u know thnt. It wo ul d just
be foolish. I don't mind testins my li mits, hut if I overreach my~el r
here, I'm dead."
I felt he r hand even before it tOuched me. T he hairs shot up
01\ my neck 'lIld goo~e blim ps raised; then I saw a flash of ligh t.
Something changed. Or hOld it? E\erything looked the SOlll\C. but
fdt .Iinerell!. I was still s l ~ ndi ng there, I:Ilking 10 her. ~ ls this ~
d ream.>"
~Everythin g
is a (Irea m," she re plied.
"Yes. but I lIie;H) right now - "
"There is always the chan ce,~ she added, "that you may fai1."
"If [ l:l i1, will I rdly die?"
~Yo ur ph ysical body will be uncl,ulIaged, bllt the pain will feel
very real, and, res, a p:m of yo u will mos t certainly die."
"!lut if this is some kind l"lf \' i.~i nn, 1 ea n l~(") 'Lnydli ng I w ~ nl."
"Tr'~ not th~t ~i l1l p l (," ~iJ e replitd, "You'll only be ablt to n"o m ~
plish what you bdicve you c.1 n; it will still tilk, a kip of f~it h to
make: it acfOU. This isn't re:ally a test of yo ur body. bu t of yo ur mind
- your focus. di$cipline, intcntion. and, in a wn)" you r in tegrit)" or
.IIltegrauon.
.
~You\'e ~1 rc:ld)' :tC('omplished much a lifetime's wo rth for
many. On ly acc<'pt this ch:lllenge if )'ou truly wish
to
go on. Ask

132
DAN MILLMAN
yourselF. Can you /lIill yourself across? This is your tCS t of personal
power. And there," she pointed again across the chasm, "lies the
path to rhe fourth door."
I stared once morc our ovu the ,h:tSm. [tesled my abilities in
[his realm by jumping up off rhe ground. expecdng that I might
float upward like a In:!.n on the moon - but I came down with a
physical s(II$;uion ofl::tnding, and rose no higher than I normally
would in my physical bod)'. I tri('d once: again with the same
I"Csult. 111i$ is crazy, I thought. Maybe it w:tS a crick, .. test of my
judgment. She: had s,1id that if I jumped and fuile<! (0 make it
across,
"3
part of me would die," Maybe
r wasn't
supposed
am
to
accept a foolish challenge. What if I declined to jump at
Yes.
that must be it. I thought. It was a test not of my will, but my
judgment. I turned to Mama Chia, but she was gone.
Then I hcard someone: calling for me. "Dan! Help me. plea.~!
Help!" fl ooked across the chasm, to where the yoice echoed from,
and saw Sachi, clinging to the ledge near where I was to land. It was
impossible. SurdY:l trick of the mind. Then she cried OUt again. I
could set: her slipping, strusslins to climb back (0 the ledsc:.
"'nlis isn't f.lir!" I $.lid. "h's not realr
"Daa.uannnn!" Sachi yelled desperately. She got a foothold.
then lost it.
Then I S.lW the tiger. Ir padded along a narrow ledge on rhe
cliffF.lce, moying tOw:lru Sachi. She didn't ~e it.
"Please!" she called again. f had no choice: I had to Try. I ran
quickly back along the narrow path for aboUT thirty yards, rurned,
and took off.
As I picked up speed, doubts assailed me: What am I doing?
I don't think J can make this. Then :I kind of cold anger overwhelmed me. Not an
ger at :lnything or anyone - JUSt :a forceful
energy. like a giant waYe th:u washed away C\'cf}'lhing in ilS path.
Nothing w.u going to StOP me.

Flying on Wing' of S tona

133
Accelerating, focuscd complctely on my go:a.l, I raced toward
the precipice. With a surge of power, my mind forgot past and
future, tigers and chasms, as I locked Oil to one Ihing: the bnding
Spot. I leaped.
For a moment, floating through 5pace, I fdt that I might not
make it. Still aloft, 1soared through space and time, as jf in slow
modon. I fdt the heavy pull of gr.aviry taking control. I fclt myself
dropping. Then, something happened. Maybe it W3S my imagination, but drawing on
everything within nle, I willtd 1Il)'sdf across.
I fdc like I was flying.
An instlnt later, (landed. with a vcry n:al thud, and, rolling into
the shallow ewe, I hit the wall. The: tiger was running tOMrd lt~.
Dazed. I 5tumbled to the Ige. reached down, and pulled 5achi up.
Then, JUSt as me tiger leaped, I pulled her tluough the dool"\vay.
1 must have hit the wall pretty Imrd. fu SOO Il as I was through
the door, I p:w:ed out.
I AWOKE, MOMENTS LATER, In the dim light. My arms were:
bruised, and my he:ad hurt. I hun all over. llookcd at my wrist; it
was crooked - broken. Then, a.~ I \\".uehed it, the: wrist str.tightened itself
our, the bruises dis.1ppc::trc:d. and the: pilin subsided. I
dosed my eyes for a few moments.
I orENED THEM, I wn.~ sitting up, on an old sheet, beside
an open gmve: at the S:l.ered burial site of the bhun3.'5.
The: morning sun muck Mama Chia's face, bathing it in a
rosy glow. But she: looked pale and dr.J.wn, ill spice of it. Noticing
me scaring. she smiled wanly, and .said, "The last few days have
been ch:tllenging for both of us. If you think I look bad, you
should see yourself. ~
She: handed me a plastic bottle with water. "Drink this."
"Thanks." I W3S parched. and gratefully I took the: water. Since
WHEN

134
DAN MILLMAN
my episode OUt at sea, 1 had lirue tolerance fo r going thirsty. That
fe.n, at lean, seemed to remain in [he depths of my Basic Self.
When J finished drinking, Mama Chia stood. "Come on. We
have a long walk back,- We said a resp:dul good.bye to Lmibub.
and though he didn't appear to us in the daylight. I could fcd his
prc=sencc and blessing.
On the way hac.k, it struck me: Although I'd de:lI'I:d the third
floor and shown sufficient discipline. focus . and self-maucry to
find and pass through the door to rhe fourth floor, my vision had
ended then; 1 had nm made it to the fo urth floor. I had some scme
of what had happened. but I asked Mama Chia for her view.
She: gave a simple. straiglnfor.vard response: "YOlt aren't ready
yet. Your psyche rejected it. You came back. "
"So I blew ir,~ 1 S3id.
"Th:I1'5 oversimplifYing, but it comes om to about the sallle
thing.
MSO what do 1do now?"
~Wdl ... your tmining with Socratcs ~el pcd you with the first
three fl oors. as I\'e 5a id. You arc prepared to entcr the founh level.
It may happen at any time. But. you sce, the Great Leap require!
that the Conscious Self, the ego. loosen its grip. Th2t may be
what's holding you back."
H
iT SOON TURNED DARK. We camped in the min foresl. Tomorrow.
I thought, we would have an e:uy walk - a couple: of hours, then
home.
Soon after sraning OUt in the morning, howc\'cr, we came to
the foot of a dramatic waterfall, thundering down from a shelf
fony feet above.
"You know," I said . gazing at the pounding fulls, "SOCl':1 tes
once c:l.ucione<1 me about gelting tOO b..'iCin:ued with inner Sluff,
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dc,oc l1Q$ do nulor

flying
135
on Wingt 01 Siono
with visiu ns an d such. He said il can lead some peo ple, wlm aren't
wo ground ed
10
St:trL wi th, inlO ~ n kinds uf illusions. He used to
tcll me, even :lJlCr send ing me on ~n inner journey. 10 keep th e lcs$0 11
and th row ~ way the experi ence.
~So . I've bee n thinking maybe all these visions don't pro\'e
anyt hing conclusive. It's a lot e~si c r to be CO UI";lgeolis or uni nhihited U
f di sci plined in ;1 dream lhan in real life. [ don'l rea lly fed
that different. H ow do I kn ow anyrhing'$ rea ll y clun gcd?~
~ \V'h ;1I
ynu'vc go ne through wa.~ much more th ~ 1I ~ dreanl,
D,m . And keep an op en mind ~b o u[ wh~! you
~But
I ~Iill w ~ nl
10
Col I!
'real life.' ~
pro ve so mcthin g to mystlf."
Mama C hi a smilcd and shoo k her head, am us ed, Sh e gazcd
in tently at me for a few mo m ent.~ . then looked at th e falls, th en
back ~t me. "Oby,~ she said. ~YOI I need to prove so rll ething? Go
mediw re und er t ha t waterfall fo r a whi le. n
I took a fresh look
;It
the fa lls, and co mi de red it. That was a
lo t of water crash ing down: it wo uldn't be like taking a ~hower.
"Yelh, I e,1Il do that, ~ I :lIlswered eJs\J:llly. I had on ce seen some
.
rhing li ke this in ;1 lII:lrlial :lrIS m oyie. "Ok:ty. I ;Iccept. I'll (!o il f
or
,
tll'ent)' minut es,

Mrjyc hom s WQuid prove::l IOllllore:," she: said lluickly.

"PilJ(' h'm,s: I'd
drown in five: hours! Or suffer br~in d ~ tm gdH
~ I'd ~;]y the: d :lll\;1ge: h:1S ;]Ire~ dy been dOlle."
M%:ry ru n ny. Oby the:n, ma),be: I'll try it fo r one: hour, but
Ihat's tOps. [ d on'l eve n know if that IOllg is possib le." [ rcmoved
III}' shi rt
:lIIJ .~ t\lned (0 t~ke orr Illy sl\e:lkeu, then Jecided :,ga ins!
rh ~1 and left them on . I STepped carefu lly on rhe slippery. mosscovered rocks, and clilllol'd 0111 und er the f~ lI s.
I was alm ost knocked flat o)' the: force of th e water. Fightin g
my wny in . almost 5lipping twi ce. I found a place to perch on a flat
rnck ;lIld ~~t, p u,~hjn g my spin e ~tr:t i g ht up under du;: fo rce of dll:

136
DAN MillMAN
dduge. The water was cold, but in this climate bearable. I'm glad
the weathu's warm, I thought. before the liquid ayJ.lancbe drowned
out all thoughts.
Through sheer dcterminadon and a growing tension
hC:ld:lchc before everything got lIumb. I 1!tLIck it our for what fdt
like an hour, so I figured that at least twenty minutes had passal.
I W3S preparing to call the same on account of min, when sometbing stopped me. M
aybe it was courage, or dC:II:rmination, or discipline. O r JUS! pigheaded stubb
ornness.
YC3ts before:. when the coach would ask for !iflttn hanclSland
push-ups. I would always do (Wemy. I'd ahV3Ys been like Ihat, as
long as I could remember. So, while I kept wanting to
gCI
up. get
OUI, quit - somcth inS kept Slopping me. Somewhere in the hack
of my mind (the from of my mind had al rC\ldy drowned) was
Mama Chia's challenge. playing again and again like: a mantra: five
hours. five hours. Jive hours ...
In my years of gymnaSlics. my B.u;c Self had been tra.ined TO
respond to the word "ch3I1enge~ by pulling OUl "II the stops, [ felt
a surge of energy rising up through my abdomen and chest as I
realiud thaI I W:LS actually going for dIe: full five hours _ and that
I might JUSt make if. No. I would make it. do or die.
Then the world disaplX:lred in the deluge, and my mind was
no more:,
in the noise that grew fainter
and limher away, I hc::trd the wind. and I saw a white lower flying
toward me in my mind's eye.
I found mysdfin a tiny room, Acrid smells filled the air, odors
of sewage and decay. partly masked by strong incense, I recognized
the dreu - colorful saris eyen in this terrible poyerty. There W:tli
no mistaking t!tis place, I was somewhere in India.
Across me room, a woman, wearing [he garb of a nun, was
SOMEWHER IN THE rouNDINC,
'.\"I~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

F l ying on Wingt 0 1 S l ono

137
caring for a bo::driddc::n Io::po::r, hi.~ fao::o:: a nnss of soro::s. Ho:: had
a
(leep, oozing fissure ill his cho::ck, I rulled with disgust, ~n(1 he W:lS
missing ~\ll e~r. He lVas dying. Recoiling from the sight, revolted
hy the 5mclls, ~nd rhe sickness, r Slcppc(1 LMck, in shock, ~ nd
withdrew.
The wind gusted; I le~ncd ag'liml a worn brick waJr in an
alleyway in Fr:rllcc, jllst 01T the n:lrrow rue de Pig:rlle. A gend,mlle
was picking lip a drunk. co\crcd wilh vomil, smelling oflhe gutler, to help him i
lllO the police vall . Disgusted, r stepped b<lek, and
Ihis scene, too, rtcedcd in Ihc dist:mcc.
The win d blclV again: I sar like a ghost, unseen, o n the bed of
a teenage boy, in
:111 u ppc r- d~s.~
suburban ho use in Los Angdc.~.
Hc waS snitling powder up his nose. Stupid kid, 1 thought. G ~t me
o ut of here,
The nexl instant, I sioo d o utside a hut ill Afrie l, g:l1.illg
through Iho:: doorway
10
1[ ,\
very old man, moving painfully, trying
get some wate r into (he cmcked mouth of a young baby, its
belly swollen, irs ribs almost brc<1king thro t tgh the skin.
~\'V'hat is this?" I cried out loud , feeling like I was back in hell.
~\,\/ h ~\r
do th e.~e l1eople 1' :l\"e to do with m e: ('<lke me aw:\)' from
herd [ can't Inke this; I don't wmH any more,"
My eyes closed, I shook Illy head back and forth to shut out
these p~op l e ami their suffering. I heartl ;t " oiee calling nle, grow~
ing loudcr. ~ D an ... DtllI. "
I II ECA M B VAGUELY AWARE of Mallia C hia, IInder the walerl':ill
with llIe, pulling my arm, yelling, "DaJ1. .. (OllIe out! You're
tln ished."
~Y-)'-}'ou cc-an say th-rhat again," I managed 10 I1\II11er.
Shivering li ke a waterlogged Cat. I staggered out from under cit e
fJlls. sh:lking Ill)' 11<::ld, tryill!; w dea r it. I stumbled :lnd fe ll upu n
some soft grasses and hy in the sun , lening the r.1)'s slowly seep

138
DAN MillMA N
into my chilled body. When I finally qpencd my eyes. Mama C hia
W:IS
sitdng quietly nearby. gazing up at the falls.
Kj'm nOI lakins a shower for a year."
Mama Chia opened a mango and handed me a piece.
"'think I grew Sills,~ I said. "Anyway, Iha[ proved somethin g.
didn't it?"
"Yes it did: While you were: slowly drowning, 1 hiked to my
house, look a nap. visited with a friend. walked back. and enjoyed
this mango.~ She tOsSed the large pit into the bushes. "It proves
something all right that one: of Wi is a Fool."
Mama Chia laughed so sweetly Ihat I had [0 chuckle. 100.
"You h:wc a good spirit, Dan. I knew that from the start.
Socr.ues helped you to turn on the light!i of the third floor. So
now. when your Co nscious Self resolves to do something. your
Basic Self knmo,'S your IeI'd of commitment and gives you the
energy to accomplish it. I'll gr.lnt you that much. ~ she s,1id with
solemnity. "You have become a human being.~
"' nmt'5
am ~
wQuiec :111 accomplishment - it means YOU'YC donc some
housecleaning on the first thrte floors. You've gotten in touch with
your body. with the world, and with your humanity,"
"Bue, something happened under the waterfall, ~ 1 told her, "I
sawall these poor ptople - the sick. the dying. Somehow. I think
r visited the - ~
"Fourth floor," she finished for me. "Yes. I sensed that down at the c,1bin, in
my sleep." She nodded. but her eycs looked
a little sad.
"Well, what did it m~ln~ Did J pauf'
"The waterfall, yes. The founh floor, no,"

In the Service of Spirit

I slept, and I dreamt thol lifo wo s all loy.
I woke, and saw thot li fe was bu t servi ce .
I .sorved , a nd discovarcd thai Sclyico wa s joy.
- Rabindronath Togoro
As
WI! WOUND OUR WAV DOWN
inro (i1e: foreS(, I asked, MWh3[
exactly happened to me back there ... leaping that chasm .. , and
then under ,he: falls?"
Limping upw.ard , ManIa Chia responded, "For you, as well as
for many others, Ihe: third floor remains an ;arena of b3ttle.
Clunered wilh issues of discipline, commitment, will, 2nd self
restraint, that level of awareness represents a 'fini shing school' for
the Basic Self.
"Uillil you d ear the: issues at this levd and attain a secure:
foundation of sc:lf-mastery. your life will reflect a constant struggle
to bridge: the chas m between knowing what to do and aClUally
doin g it. The: warrior has mastered the Bouie Self - trained i t so that wants
and needs are the same, no longer in opposition.
"In leaping the chasm, you showed :t m ong will; otherwise,
you would have fallen into the abys.~."
139

''0
DAN MILLMAN
M\'V}m .....ould
have happened chen?"
MA long climb back," she said, smiling,
"W'L~ Sachi really therd"
~In your mind. yes - I believe she repn:sc:nts the daughter
you left waiting for )'OU b3Ck in Ohio,"
Pangs of regret, responsibility, :md Jo . . e washed over lilt a5
Holly's liulc face appeared in my mind. "I should be swing home
to
set:
her."
"Of
coursc,~
she agreed. "But will you bring her a whole
father, or a mm with unfinished business?"
Ag:!in Soc's words resounded inside me: "Once hegun .. ,
better finish,"
MH :lVC: you finished here yet?" Mama Chia :uked. reading 111)'
thoughts.
"r
still don't undemand what happened
to
me under that
w:l.tcrfall - ..
She cut me off. "You made a tremendo us jump :\Cross that
chasm. But an even greater leap aw;\its you."
"To the fourm fl oor?"
"Yes - into the hC3.rt."
"'ntO the heart," I repeated. ~So unds kind of sl'! ntiment;ll. ~
"Sentiment has nothing to do with it," she said. "h's a mliller
of physics - IIIl"taphysics. And you ran make this leap, Dan. But
it will take great cour:lge, and great love. These qualities arc coming alive in
YOll. It all begins with a longing, as )'ou've described.~
She paused, then added, '" know you helter thlln you know YOlHself, O:m. All you
r adventures arc nothing more, and nothing less,
than Spirit searching for hsdf, Your Higher Self, filled with love,
W.l.its for you with infinite patience. That meeting is so dose. I
only hope I live to !ce - " she C:tllght herself and StOpped in mid
sentence.
M;!ic

I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

141
In t he Serv i c e of Spirit
MWhal was l hal? W hat did
YOIl
say?"
Mama Chia loo ked as if sh e were about to sp~lk, but only
resu med her lim ping. gail, and co ntinued t!llking wher<: she left
on: "Yo u'll
meet your Higher Self th e mome nt yo ur aw.ueness
rises out oflhe sea of personal concerns, into the h e~n, Yo u do n't
have tu climb th e mounrtlins of Tibet, you see, fur the kingdum of
heaven is within, " she reminded me. ~ In and up above thC' heart :Iud
it's all IhC'n:."
MWh:lr ~hollr rhe 1100 rs above?~
Ml've IOld }'Oll one Sle p al:l lillie. Find rhe heart, first; thell
the higher flo ors will t~ke care of themscives, but you' ll be too
h usy loving and ser ving to care."'
~ l do n't know
if I'm cur out to
pby 'Sa int D;IIl.''' I gri nned at
her. "Fo r one th ing, J like cuokies too muc h."
MWe ll ,~
Mama Ch ia replied, smiling. MWhcn you b .p into the
heart, yo u' lIlml)' {mit: cookies. I know (do!" She hughed , but 5;li,1
nOlhing m ore fo r a while, as if to leI all slle had u id sink in , t h e
w .. ya gardener leIS lV,lIe r seep ,1(Jwn deep, toward th e mots.
1 looked up and arou nd; d ouds passed over the midday sun.
Mall\:I Chh's wo rds h;ul reaclu:d ill and IOllched so nlepl:u:e deep
inside me. \VJe eontin \led w~lking. in silence, u n ti l more questions
arose in Ill)' mind.
Mi\obma C h i:l, I've seen people who h:we unusual powers or
ah ilities. Dne.1 thar mean th ey arc a ll the highn floors1"
"People somC'times h3ve gifls d ue to dIe work (hey h3vc d one
in ]l3St embodiments. But most oft en un less th ey've cle;m:d all
the debris
below - Ihe)' on I}' have:l 'tem porary pass' to the upper

Iloors
CO ll t3C[ those puint s of energy and sec through those
{O
windows."
"How 'Ihollt spj r iwilll1la .ner$~"
"The awareness of:l genuine masler is present at birth, but

'"
DAN MILLMAN
m:1.y remain ]:ltem even through periods of inner mrmoi] :lIld
confilSion - until it blossoms r.1pidly. c Halyzed by an event or
teacher. Grear masccl"li can aceeS.'! the higher floors - indeed. they
manifest grC<\t love, energy. darity, wisdo m. charisma. co mp a.~
sion, sensitivity, and power bur if th e}' h:l\lcn't also m astered the
lower floors, they end up absconding with the mone), or sleeping
with their students,"
"I'd SUfe like 10 experience those upper floors. ~
"Cerrain mysti cal ttt hniqucs and substances have been
known for centuries
(0
pro\jde glimpses of the upper fl oors. These
arc best treated as s3crcd, rather than rcaeational , activities;
they
C:ln be useful as 'previews of corning :mractions.'
"Many wdl-intentioned, lonely. bored , or desptl'3tc people
geller-lie spi ritual experiences Ihrough a varic!), of lechniques," she
continued. "But then what? What have they gOl? They reUlrn to
their norm;u5[:lles nlore depressed than ever.
KSpirit is always here. always with liS, around liS. inside li S. BlLt
there arc no shorlcuts to this realization. Mystical pr:lctices generate heighte
ned awareness, bur if experiences aren't grounded in a
responsible life in this dimension, they lead nowhere." She said,
following a turn in the path.
M
Those who stck ( 0 eSClpe thc world through spirilllal expe~
rienees arc barking up the wrong (fee, because their search onl)'
intensifies the stnse of dilemma that mod\'ated lhe search in [he
fi rst place.
"The desire to rise above the boredom, fl eshiness. and morality of this world i
s nalural and understandable. Bur those who
pracdce self-involved techniqucs to dislrnct themselvcs from Ihe
dilemm:l'" of daily life arc going to ascend the ladder only to find
out it's leaning against the wrong wall.
"YOLI mcct the Higlu::r Self nOi by inlOlgining colored lights or
doing lo\'ely visualiz.:uions. but by accepting its will - by brcomillg

143
In t he Sory i c e o f Spir i t
the H igha Self. T his proc~s cannot he forced: it happens of ils
own accom.
HD ail r life is yO llr training ground," she co ntinued. "Spirit
give~
you everything ),ou need, here ~ nd now, Yo u evolve not by
seeking to go dsewhc: re, but b)' p~)'j n g ~ttellt ioll to, ~ n d embrac
ing, what's ri ght in from o f yo u. Only the n c;ln yo u take t he next
step on wh:1t eyer floo r yo u ;lre working.
~A n d
then," ~h c snid, swppi ng and fao;in g me, "when the
lo w ~r floors :H~ clear, sO I11~tltin g yery .~ ll b d e and exciting UCCllrs:
You r moti ves make :a rare and d ram:uic sh ift frOIll ud!illg hap pi.
n e~~ to rrrntilig it,
~U l t illl at cl)', it C(lllles <10wn to ~erv i ce. Jesus .~:tid, 'Whoever
would be the g reatest alllong )'ou is the servant of all .' This, Dan,
is the wa)' to the Ilean, the ]lath Ul' the in nc:r mo uI\tai n.l\nd mark
m)' words: One day yu u will serve m iters nor u ut of sd f-intert:Sl or
guilt or social conscience, but bmlllu du".d IIQt!Ji ug t'lu )"()//il
fildm' do. It will feci as simple ;Illd ple;tsur;tble as seeing:1 wotHlerful film that makes )'ou fed happy and w:lJlring to share it wi th
ot Ilers. "
~l don'l know if I'm capable of Imki n g service th e: ce:nte:r of
Ill)' life:. It still sounds like ~ burden."
~Of rllllrst'
it
doe:~," ~h e:
re: plied, " be:cau lie yo u
~rc
still se:e:ing it
frolll th e: t hird floor. But from th e: fo urth-floor window, from th e:
cye:s
of the hellrt, eOlll'enience, personal co mfort, and satisfllctio n
are: no longe:r dIe ce:llte:r of yo ur e:xisle:nce:. You will look fo rwilrd
10
gelli ng up e:ach day jusl
10
hrlp another so ul, ~nothcr parr of
you r Self."
M~m:l.

C hia noppe:d ta lki ng

:t..S ~
r:l ins'I uall made our footing
u c;\eherOU5, Stepping over twisted roots, it
\V iiS
hnrd to w~lk ilnd
lalk at the: sa llie tim e:, I concentrated on my mud-ca ked 5neakers
be:ating a squishing c:.ldenec on the wct e;1rth and thou ght abo u t
what she: had to ld lIle. \Ve sloshed tlown th rough {ite: r~ ill {hat

DAN MILlMAN
saturated the rlll'e~t, pass ing sc\'~ ra l small hut scelllC w~ t ed:'Jl s
along this lInt'row, slippery p.lIh.
btcr, whcn thc p;uh widcncd, Mam a Chia gbnecd b~ek l\[
my concern ed expression ~ n d s~ i d, ~Don'r be roo hard on you nell:
D,lll. AccepT whe re you ~re. TrUSTyo ur Higher Self. It has been
calling to you $in.;;c you were a child. It brought yo u to Socr~tcs,
and to me. Accept your~elf :llld just 5crve. Sen'e 0\1\ or duty IIllti l
you can serve out of love - withour ~ H~ chrnerH 10 the results.
gAud when yo u'd be con tent to spend a hundred lil"crimCllor :In eternity _ ser
ving others, you no longer nerd !O pr~ctice:l
way. bccausc you'vc b("(olllt the Way. Through scrviee, 'you.' the
Conscious Self, e\'I)lve into iI Higher Self, cven while in h1l111 :111
fo r m.~
~ How
will I know whcn this happens?" I asked her.
~Yo u won't. You' ll he wo c(':n:lti..: to noticc. As tbe cgo dissolves inm [he
1tIllS of God. {he mind dissolves into the will of
God. No longer trying to con trol yo ur life or make it work out in
a p.micui:1r way, you StOP living mel SlaT! b~illg lil/fff. You mergt'
with a larger purpose - you hecome the \"'~y by gelling out of
the w~y,~
~I
don't know," 1 sighed. ~ I t sounds impossible."
"When h~ s th at .u(lpped you bcfo re?" she askc<l.
gyou'vc gOt a point." I s~i d. smiling.
"When Joseph de Veuster WllS II hoy, ~ she added, "if someone
Iud told hi m he: would spend his ~d ul r lifc rn in i~leriJ1 g 10 lepers
on the isla nd of Molobi, he m ight h~ve thought thar impossible,
[QO. But Joscph b ec~ m c: Father Damien, ~nd when the lepers were
ab:llHloned here to languish .md die, he fou nd his "t il ing, and
snvcd th em for the rest of his life. Ami look at Mother Tereu,
:tnd Mahatm~ Ga ndhi, 3nd - "
~A[)(I look at you." I iUIt'rjeeted.
\Yle p:lssed dow n into the u in forest, down towa rd my cabin.

In t he Serv i c e o f Spirit
and
:t
le;lVe~,
145
needed le~1. The tree runtS !\lu l l'Oc; ks g:l\'e way to gras.~ ,
ami damp ted eart h. \Ve were bot h we.lfY. and we tnvde(1
in silence. I cO llcentrarC'd on breathing slowly and deeply, keeping
my tongue on th e roof of my mouth. ~Il owing my Basic Self fO cir
culare ~nd bab nce d~e energies Ihal nowed through me. I inhaled
not on ly ~ ir. but light and ell crgy ~ nd spirit .
I btc;Hlle aw~ re ofb irdsong. and rhe ever-preselll rrickle :t nd
rushing of streams and Wate rfalls - runoff from the rain showers
- drew mc once again into the heauty and mystery of Molobi.
But the lugging iuue of service, cert:, inly a weak link in the chain
of my life. kcpt rising to the surF-Icc of my mind, pressing mc.
~ Mam a C hia ." r sai d. bre,lking our silence, ~w h en YO Il men
tioned Father Damien or Mo ther Teresa. J reali:!.e how fa r I 01 111
from anythi ng likc th at. The ide., of working with lepers and scn'
ing the poor just dOCSI\'[ :lppe:ll !O me :11 tbis poiJH in Illy life,
(hough I know ir would be a good rhing ro do,"
Wi thout tuming :Iround. she answer"L "Mosr of hu m:lIlit)'
joins in you r sen timents, Good deeds are do ne for many 1Il0t ives:
On the first noo r. you only lind self-service; on the second floo r.
se:rl'ir.:e always h;15 strings att';I(;he:d; o n lhe: thi rd Ooor. it is mo d1',lIed by duty and responsibility. I say agai n : True service begins at
Ihe: fou rth lcvel, whell ;l\varcness rcsi,ln in rhe h c~rr."
\Ve walkcd on into th", after noon, slopping once to pick some
ma ngoes. My hu ngcr only slightly appc.1Scd. I fdt glad fo r the
rcmaining nuts from Marn~ Chia's pJ(;k. Sllc juSt nih hled. content
wit h her meager fa re.
"Keep eating like this." I sa id, ";\nd yo u'JI soon be slim a.~ "
model:'
"A model what?"
~A model sai nt," J said.
Mama Chia shook her he~ d bur sa id n Olhing.
As we resu med Ihe fin al leg of our downward hike, I lskc-d

DAN MILlMAN
146
Marna Chia, ~I-Iow
alll [
ahout? After all, I have
mitmcnts. I
C;l ll'! JUSt
II
tver gni ng
job, ,\ I;unily
10 rnak~
to
thlt leap you !~ lk
support, :mJ other
co m ~
go aro und giving things :\W;lY. spending all
my rime VollllHccring."
gWhocvcr suggested yo u should? And where have you gonen
all these ideas?" she asked. M ~1ayb c from tile same phlec r did,"
Slowing her pa\;"c, ~hc alldto, "Wll<;n [ W :\$ yo ung, i,lea ls didn't
come any higher. I W:'\S going for dIe Holy Grail, and that was
that. Not a day passed that [ didn't fed g uilty rc,lding booh and
uudy ing and attending IlhllS whjle o ther children were nat\,ill g in other parIS of til e wo rld. I vowed th(l,( I wOldd help those
less fonu nate than I.
~D u r ing my m .vds, my ideals sul1i:rd a rude jo lt. I had ~avcJ
some money to give 10 the poor and. a~ soon as 1 gO t off th e rrain ,
a child appro ached me. Shc was beami!'ul - nc.1l and cle;ul , with
shining teeth in spite orher poverty. She begged politely, Jnd I wns
happy to give her a coin. Her eyes Iii up.
~Then three more chi ldren nUl up :md, smiling gmcio usly, I
gave each of them a co in as well. T hen 1 was s urrounded by fifteen
c hildren, and that was just the start. EYcrpvhcrc, thcre wcrc morc
children begging. I soon ran out of coins. 1 g:\Vc :twa)' Illy c~rr)'ing
b;lg and an umbrella; 1gayc away ncarly everything but the clotlles
I was weMing and my :lir tickets. Soon. if th is kept up. 1 would be
begging. too. It had ( 0 StOp sonl ewhere; I had 10 leaTll how to s:\y
110 wi riloul hanlening my heart. It wa~ painfu l fnr m e, httt nc~e~
sary. I had not mke n \'ows of povert}' - and neither have yo u.
"Yes, Ihis world nceds mo rc compassion. But we all have

d iffe l'em c;dlings. Some people: work in die stock 111:uket, ot hers in
the priso ns. Some live in luxury, while o then arc homeless. Some
people deli berate o n wh:1l type of importc(1 marble' to pbcc in
tlldr indoor pools, while o thers starve on the Sireets as Christmas
shoppers p~55 b)~ Doe'S thi, make villains of the rieh o r ~a ints of

In thlll Service of Spirit

1A7
the poor? I think not. Complex karmas are at work. Each of w
plays our role. Each of us is born into life circumstances to
ch:l11enge US and allow us to evolve. A beggar in this life may have
been wealthy in another life. Inequity has always exisred, and until
the a~ne$5 of humanity rises 41 kmt to the third floor, it will
continUe.
~Over time, I have come to accept my guilt about being com
fomble and having enough to eat," she explained. ~Otherwjse,
how can we take a bite of food while others starve?"
~How do you deal with these feelin gs?" I asked.
KThe question iuelfreveal s your awakening hean," she said.
"The way I deal with such fedings is I act with kindness to the
people in my immediate surroundings. I accept the role I have
been given. and I suggest you do the same. It is all right for a
peaceful ww-ior to make good money, doing what he or she loves,
serving other people. All three elements are important. It is all
right to hurt, to love, to be happy, in spite of the difficulties of this
world.
"Find your own balance. Do what you can, but take time 10
laugh and enjoy life. Yet, at the same time, know that as your consciousncss ris
es up into the tower of life, yo ur lifestyle naturally
changes. Your needs simplify; your priorities - how you spend
your rime and money and energy - all change."
'" have high ideals, too - I want (Q get closer to them . I want
to change."
"The first slep to change, as I expect Socrates showed you,
is accepting your realiry right now. Honoring your proccss.
Compassionate sdf-awareness leads to change: harsh self-criticism
only holds the panerns in place, creating a stubborn and defensive
Basic Self. Be gentle with yourself as you would with a child. Be
gentle but firm . Give yourself the space to grow. But remember
that the timing is in God's hands, nor yours."
Mnlcrial Plot'!lido PO< dc.cchos do nlllor

Dark Clouds on a Sunny Day

Here 010 lho 100f$
of things: mor tality 10uches Ihe hear!.
- Virgil.
The Aeneid
I HAD ABSORBED ALL I COULD. My mind and he;lf( felt resl e d, but
nor my feCI - I was runni ng on empty. c:trriw downhill morc by
momentum Ih:m by :my reserves of energy. Again if stru ck me as
incredible that this elderly woman could
ha~'c
Ira\dcd all these
miles, li mping every mp of the way.
\Vhcn we were ncaring home, Mama C hia led me
anomer trai l than rhe one 10 remembered. A
OntO
few minutes later, we
Clme to:t small Clhin ncxt to a clSClding n rcam. A~ we approac hed
from above. I could sec a Japanese rock garden with one huge rock
30 island in a sea of r:lkcd gravcl - with a bonsai trcc arching
lip in pc:rfea balance wilh the whole. Above it by another tcmeed
ga rd en widl \'cgctables and flowers.
'nit
cabin iuclf stood up off the ground on uilu. "We sometimes sct a lot of water," she expl:1incd without my :asking.
:IS
we
148
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

Dor~
C loud , on a Sun n y Day
149
went up three log steps and inside. The decor was perfect Mama
Chia; a long, low futon couch, green carpeting like ,he forest
leaves, a few paintings on the walls, and some Mfia - medit:l.lion
cushions - and assorted pillows.
"Can I make you some iced tea?" she asked.
"'Sure, I said. ~ Need any help?"
She smiled. ~While this is tea for two, it docsn't take two to
m:l.ke tca. The bathroom's over there." She pointed to my left as
she headed into the kitchen area. ~Make yourself at home. Spin a
record on the turnt:tbJe if you want,"
Coming Ollt of the bathroom, I looked for the record player
and found an old windup model, an antique.
When she brought out the te:1, and some fresh papaya slices,
Mama Chia seemed so peaceful - :11 home in her environment
- as if she'd been here all the rime instead of taking me on a
grueling cross-country hike,
When we finished our tea, I cleared our plates and washed
them. She said, "We're only about a mile from your cabin. You
cOuld use a rcst, I imagine. n
"V
'd " vIOU, too. "
ICS, " 1 S:lJ.
Marna Chia kneh, Japanese sryle, on a cushion in front of me,
and gazed directly into my eyes. "I feel I've come to know you well
these past fav days."
"The feeling's murual," I replied, "YOti amaze me! Socmtes
sure knows how to pick friends, n I smiled.
"Yes, he does," she added. r guessed she was referring to me.
"You know, it's strange - we've only known each other for a
few weeks, but it feels like so much longer, n
"Like a time warp," she said.
"Yes, exacrly - :lnd it's going to rake some time for me to t:lke
in all that I've learned. ~ I told her.
R

150
DAN MILLMAN
She paused for;'\ momen! , thcn said, " Perhaps that's what life:
is for- giving w time to take in whal we IO:-.l rn."
We ~at quietly for a while. enjoying the serenity of her house
and the pIC:lSIITC of c::'Ich other's compa ny. I W:l.~ 511ddenly moved
to tell her, '" fed so grateful to you, Mama Chiaon
"Cr-lleftli to mrr She laughed. apparently thinking this
humorous, or even ahsurd. "I'm happy for YOU; gratitude i~ a
good, wholesome feeling;. But when you're thirsty and someo ne
gives you waler, :1rC~ you gr:ucful
g.lVt
[0
the glass, or to the person who
you the water?"
"To the person," I answered.
"I am only the glass." ~ h c s:liJ. "$C'nd your gralilLl(lC' to the
Source,"
'" will, Mam:l C hia, bur l also :lpprcc:ial c the gktn ,n
We shared a laugh. and then her smile: f.,dcd slightly.
"There's somelhing I fed I should Iell you, Dan, JUst III
c:tSe .... " She hesitated for a momenl. MI ll:wc trouble wilh blood
clots - a high risk of m okes. The 1:\51 onc gave me this limp, this
shaky h:lnd, and some sight loss in one eye. The nex t ont, if it
happens, will be final."
She said all this matter-offucII}'. I fdt a shock pass through
my whole body. ~ The doctor who origin:tlly diagnosed it," she
conlinucd, ~and Ihe spialin who oITered the same diagnosis, said
I could functi on normally - except for Ihe u.~uat cautions - but
that my life expectancy at this point is vcry tcnuous. There's not
milch Ihey can do - Ihey give nle somc medicine, bUl ... "
She: s.1r still, as I absorbed rhis. r stared into her eycs, to the
floor. and into her eyes aboain. "Did those 'usual cautions' the doc
tors told yOIl incllide not pushing )'ourst:!r to yOllr limits on
endurance hikes?"
Mama Chia smiled at mc wi th compassion. "You understand
why t didn't tell ),ou before."

Dark Cloudl on
0
Sunny Doy
151
"Yes - because I would never have gone." Feelings of anger.
concern. sorrow. fear. lenrJefness.lxlfayal. and guilt washl!d over me.
A heavy silence settled on the room. ~You said [he next stroke
would be faraJ. Don'[ you mean might ue fault'
She hesitated, ,hen said, ~! sense ['II be dying soon. I can feel
it. I JUSt don't know exactly when."
"Is ,here anything I can do?" I finally asked.
''I'll let you k.110W, ~ she s.1id with a eomforting smile.
"Wilh everything you know - all your r.J.ppon wi,h your
Basic Self - can't you heal youuclf?"
"I've asked myself that question many times. J do what I
ean; the reSt is up to God. There are some things one must
accept. All the positive thinking in the world will not grow back
a missing leg; my problem is like ,hat. ~
"nl:!.t friend I told you about - the one who died," I
remi nded her. "When he first found out he was ill. he felt all those
things people fed in his situation - the shock, Ihe denial, Ihe
anger, and, finally, the acceptance. Well, it seemed to me that he
had an opportunity dther to conquer the illness - 10 commit :111
his time, energy, and will to healing - or, to accept on the deepest level that
he was going to die, surrender, make peace with the
world, t:lke care of business. and somehow IISC it for his evolution.
Bm he never did .... " I Ihought about him and a sadness settled
over me before I continued. "He did what I imagine most people
do. He wobbled wilh halfhe:med efforts. never really fighting
dellth Dr accepling it, ufllil the end. r Wll!l, , disappoinled in him."
h w:u Ihe fim time I had ever shared that feeling with anyone.
Mama Chia nodded slowly. M
I\'e secn people completely surrender to death, and in that surrender, Ihey were
healed. In my own
case. I will fight for my life even as I accept my death. [n the meantime. I'm g
oing to live - really live - until I die. Whether it's today.
tomorrow. next month. or next year. That's all anyone can do.
M
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

DAN M IL LMA N
152
Sh~
luoked at' ilIe, :lIl d 1 thi nk she could sense how milch I
w:ll11 c:d \0 hdp her. ~ T h c: r c: ~ro: no gu ~ r:.l n tc:c:s ill this life, D
.H1. \Vlc:
live the hes t way we kn ow he w. [ listen 10 and trust the: m essages
fr om my Basic stir. Bu t ~o m c{im Q , in spire o f everythi ng finished he r sentence wilh "shrug.
kHow do you d c.11 wit h tha I . e ... "
tim
"She
with kn owing th aI at :my
don't fe-ar dea th; I understand it far
li fe. And the more I hlllgh, and t he more
M[
wd l. But I do love
play li ke a child, the
t OO
J
m ore en ergy lU}' lh sic Self gives m e to keep righ t on daJl cing." Site
'q u cc~,cd
hoth
Ill }'
11:.1 l1d, . "You've given
111 1:
.\ome
fU ll ilIlfi SO IlU:
I:lUghs thde l:lSI few daY$. ~
My t)'t$ ~tart cd to n ing, I emhraced her ~n d ~h c wckomcd it.
~Co m e 0 11 ," ~ hc oOered, "I'll walk yo u IlO me."
M N o,~ I s~ i d q uickly. "I mean I c~ n find my w~ y. You ge t
so me res t. "
KTh:1t so unds ap pel ling," she .<:a id, stretchi ng l nd yawnin g.
As I turn ed to go, she called to m e l nd Slid , "Noll' Ih:lt
r O ll

me ntio n it , there is something yo u e~ n do fo r me."

KN~ me
it."
" [ h:lYe: so m e ef(;l nds
if you li ke 10 rUIl,
pe:o ple
10
see:. Yo u (:I n a.~s i s t me,
c~ rry my e)(t r~ pack, t hat so rt of thing, You d oing
a nyth ing tom o rrow?"
"I' ll che:ck m y ap pointme: nt boo k , ~ I said, hap py fo r the: invitati on
,
KO kay," she respo nded , "Sec yo u Ihe ll , And, D;lII, I' l e'l~ e,
d o n', be tro ub led by rhi s," Then, wilh a lin le wave, she tu rn ed
a wn)'. I w~ l kcd slowly (Iown her fro nt steps t o fi nd the: pat h back
'0 Illy eab in, As I head ed d own Ilno ugh [he trees, I wond ered if I
wo ul d cI'cr feci t hc way she d itl helping 0 I her,~ ju5C for the love
o f it, wit h nn Ihough t o f mysel f, T llen s\l met hi ng elsc m;;c \\rt\:d to

Dork Cloud, on
0
Sunny Doy
153
me. Was it possible Ihat Soemld senl me here not only 10 ~ccive
her help but to somehow help her as wem It struck me once again:
He worked;1( a service stadon - a Strl,;rt ~tation.
By Ii\(: dme r got back to the Clbin, I realized (WO Ihings: first,
Ihal $ocr;ues h:ad sent me here to learn how to serve; second, that
) had great debts to repay.
bright and early, I hc:lrd the loud chirp of a
bird right in my ear and fdr a tiny weight on my chest. I opened
my eyes cmtiously and saw Redbird, Mama Chia's friend, the
'apapant bird. wHello. Ralbird," I SOlid quietly, not moving. He
just ritred his head, gave anorher chirp, and flew OUt the window.
") see the early bird gOt here before me." said Marna Chia as
she emered, gesturing toward it tree just outside, where he was
smgmg.
" I'm ready to go," r said , tying my shad, remembering that
I'd promised myself not to :act gloomy and maudlin :around her.
"What's firs!?"
"Bretkfast." She handed me some fresh bread, nill warm.
"Thanks!" I said, sitting on the bed and munching. W
By the
way, I've been meaning to ask you, docs this cabin belong to you?"
"It was a gift; Sachi's father built it a few years ago."
"Pretty nice gift, I said with my mouth fun.
"He's a pretty nice guy."
"So when do I meet him?"
"He's away, working on a building job. There's not much construction on Molokai
these days, so when an opportunity comes
up ... ~ She shrugged.
" Wh~re's Sachi been?"
"She ought (Q arrive any minute now. J said she could come
along."
THE
NEXT MORNINC,
W

154
DAN MILLMAN
"Good; I've dcvc:loped;l real fondness for that little Indy."
S3chi \valked in, blushing as she heard this.
M:una C hia picked up one backpack and poimcd to the o ne
I WOlS to Clrry. I re3ched down.
full of rocks, or wh:nt'
"As a maner of faCt. it is," she
and Mitsu some cil{)icc stones cxcrci~c will do you good. "
"Jflt gelS 100 heavy for yOIl, I
wilh a dimpled smile.

"Whoa, this is hcavy,~ I said. YI,s it

said. Yl wUnfed to bring Fuji
for their rock garden. And the
c.1n cafry it," S3chi voluntee red

"If it gets
tOO
heavy. you can Clrry
m~.
'" grinned back. and
turned to Mama Chiao- Isn't Fuji the: phorogrnphcr
about? Didn't he and his wife JUSt have: a h:lby?"
"Yes. Now he does
landsc.1~
gardening ),Oll
works
:1[
told me:
Malakai
Ranch. Very handy with too[s,"
FOJI AND MITSU
grtttcd us with warmth and courtcs}' and imro-JIICed liS to their inf.1nr son, Toby, who was unimpressed., :uu.l
sound asleep. "He arrived only a few weeks ago, with tvtllna e h ia's
help, Fuji announced.
"The S:tme is true of me. I hope hi ~ Hip here was easier than
mine."' I said. grinning at Mama Chia and slipping the rock-filled
pack off my back. I placed it on the porch with a thud.
"Rocks for your garden: Mama Chia exphlined to fuji while
I stretched my arms and shoulders. Then she offered, mostly for
my benefit, "If they aren't exactly what you want. we'll be glad to
take them back. n
One look at my ocprcssion and they all laughed.
Their cabin was filled with bric-a-brac and memorabilia, neady arranged on many

shelves. I a1.~o noticed beaUliful

photos of the surf and trees and sky - probably taken by Fuji.
n

Dark Claudi on
0
Sunny Day
ISS
. Surrounded by tre on every side, with hanging plants decomting
the w:l.lls, it W:lS n bt'.llltiful house, :I h~ppy house. We heard the
squalls of the baby.....'aking up hungry.
While M:lma Chi.:1 attended to Minu and her newborn son.
Fuji offered to give us a tour of [he garden ... Miuu and Fuji ha\"C
a beatttiful garden," Sachi said enthusiastically.
And $0 they did: cabbages, cornmlks, rows of beans, and
squash. I 5.1W taro root greens sticking up through the soil.
Bordering [he g;a.rden on one side was an avocado tree, and, s(".anding sentry o
n the other, a fig t~e. "We have good potatoes, tOO,
Fuji s:l.id proudly.
I could feel nature spirits all over the place; my Basic Self, I
noted, was speaking to me more dearly lately - or maybe I W:lS
just listening bener.
Mtet our tour, we sat on the porch and talked about landsCllping, photogmphy, an
d other things, until Mama Chia emerged.
When we said good-bye, Fuji made a point of shaking my
hand. ~If there's ever anything I can do for you, Dan, please ask. "
"Th:lOk )'Ou," I said, genuinely liking this m:ln, but not
expecting to see him again. "My best to your family."
Mitsu waved from the house. het baby at 11et breast. and we
turned down toward the road.
MWe're going to town," Mama Chia lold me. "I borrow Fuji's
pickup when he doesn', need it."
She squeez.ed herself behind the wheel of his little truck and
moved the seal back so sht could breathe. I slid into (he passenger
side; Sawi hippity-hopped orllo the back of the truck. "Hold on
for dear life!" Mama Chia yelted out to Sachi, who squealed with
delight as we bumped down the dirt and gravel road, to the twolane main highway.
"Going to town," 1 thought. "Whar a phr.a.se." I hadn't seen
M
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

156
DAN MillMAN
much of civilization since 1 walked down char beach roward
Mak:apuu Poim, weeks :ISo.
Till! TOWN OF KAUNAKAKAI,
~lllinded
on the .southern side of the island.
me of a false-from Hollywood sct - a dutt-block-1ong
commercial section, with buildings of wood, brick, and faded
paint. A sign at the OUlSkirts read "POI: 1,100." A wharf extended
far OUt into the harbor of this seaside town.
Mama Ch ~a went into :I store to shop. I w:'t iled otusidc with
Sachi, now entranced by a gift shop window display next door. As
we stood there. I glanced ovc:r at four H:twaiian boys ill their late
teells :u they approached and stopped next 10 us. Ignori ng my
Basic Selfs "something is wrong here" (<<ling, J didn't pay much
anemion to the youths. until one of them suddenly IUrncd :IlId
snatched the flower out of Sachi's hair.
She IUrned to them and said indignanlly. ~Give me that!~
Ignoring her, he ~t:mro to pull off the petals, one by one. ~S he
do lo\'e me, she don'r love me, she do, she don'I .. .~
Anomer boy said, "Who ClttS - she ain' big enough 10 do
nothin' bur - ~
MCome: aile:, give: me: the fl owtr. ~ I said, in a show of brolV;l.do.
Or stupidity, They turned and glared at me; now I'd done it.
~You \V;l.nt dis flowat said the biggest of the boys. 5i" inches
tallcr and about a hundred pounds heavier lhan r. with a beer be:lly
and, I suspecled, some muscle under his flabby bulk. "Why don'
),OU take ir?~ he challenged, grinning at his friends.
As the other young toughs surrounded me, Bter Belly suggCSted. "Maybe you wanna
wc:ar id"
"Nah." said another punk. "He :ain' no <JUter; I tllink she his
girlf~n' ," he said , jerking his hc:ad loward Sachi, now embarr:lSSed, :lnd :I.
liltlc: afrnid.

Dcrlt Clolld. 01'1 0 SlInny Doy

157
~JUSt
give me me flower,~ I comm:lndcd - a big mistake.
Beer Belly stepped up and shoved me bllckward. "Why don'
~"ou take it from me, h,/Wu. ~ he spit.
I grabbed his ",,'Tist with one hand, and tried to gel rhe Aowcr.
He th~ it awOl}' and took a swing at me.
The blow glanced off my SC.3..Ip as I hurried ro avoid it. I didn't
want to hil this guy; I JUSt wanted TO Set Sachi out of there. But it
had gone 100 hr. I shoved him with all my might. He slepJX'i
ha.ck....':U"d, tripped on a beer can, and fdlllwkwardl}'. One of his
friends laughed. He came up furious, m<1d enough to kill. <1nd
fully capmle of it. Bur just then, the storekpcr r.m out in time
to S2\'e my skin.
"Hey! You boys!" he yelled as ifhe knew them. "No fighting
around here if you wam to come back, you heart
Beer Belly stoppcd,lookcd at the storckl~r, then glam! ami
pointed at me. With his fingcf jabbing the air like a knilc, hc said.
"Next time. bro', you dead mc.11."
They sauntered off. "You just madc a bad enelll},," the storekCC'pcr said to me.
"What were you fighting overt'
"This," I answered, picking up the nower ami blowing it off.
"Thanks for ch;l.Sing them off,"
Shaking his ht':td, the stort'kecper went back insitle, muttering, "Crazy touris
ts. n
As Sachi came over and touched my ;;lfm. I rcali7.t'4.1 I wa~
shaking.
"Arc you:tll right?" she said.
"I'm fine," I answered, but I knew that w.u only p:lrtly true. My
Consciow Self Iud stayed cool, but my Basic Self w:u shaken 111'.
Ever since I WolS a little boy. I'd been told, "Never light! Never light!"
by an idealistic mother in 2 not-so-idcalistic world. I h~d no
brothers, 2ml I jWt didn't know how 10 cope wi,h physical
Mnlcrial Plot'!lido PO< dc.cchos do nlllor

ISS
DAN MILLMAN
confront.l[ion.~.
I wished Socrates had t:lught me: some of his martial ans.
"I'll be okay," I rcpc:uoo. "How arc you doing?R
MO)my, 1 guess, n she said.
I handed her the flower. "Here - ne:trly as good as new."
"Thanks," She smiled, then her smile f3dcd as she W3.tthcd
the rowdy gang walking away. "I've secn them Ixforc, they're JU St
bulliC5. Let's go inside. I think Mama Chia's done.
M
As I CARRJED TIlE (lROCERIES to
the: truck, J looked around
for
those boys and resolved that I would lc::ln\ how to defend myself,
and protect others, if ne1:es.s.1ry. The world could be a d:mgcrous
place, and people weren't always pe:lccful. Ifjt wasn't a mttt punk,
it miS]u be someone else: I couldn't ignore Ihi~ arc:. of my life. If
that storekt'cpcr hadn't come out ... I vowed nevcr to let something like Ihis happen again.
"YOII two
haye a good time?" Mama Chia asked as we got into
the truck.
KS U~,"
I said, givi ng Sachi a look. gl eYen gOl to make some
new fricnds."
After we put away these gro-Th:Il's good," she said, smiling. M
ceriC.'l, I'm going to introduce you to some special people."
KThat's nice," I said automatically, not h:wing the fuintcn
notion about who they might be.
By
our errands complete, we returned Fuji's
!nICk. Sachi hoppe<1 OUt of the back and, with a "Sec you later,"
took off with a running start, up the dirt road.
"The keys::lre in the truck," M:lma Chia called to Fuji with a
wave of her hand, and we started up the path to her cabin. I
insisted on Clrrying most of the groceries - dnee large bags LATE AFTERNOON,

Dark
Clouds
on a Sunny Day
159
but left Mama Chia with one: small bOlg, '" don't ~e:c: why I have: to
carry chis bag," she whined loudly. ~Afcer all, I run an imporcanc
kahuna shaman and your elder - and you could easily have
C2rried this in your leel h, or between your less.~
"You're right," I said, shifling Ihe middl~ bag so I could see
o\ler il. "I am cruly a bzy person, but I know you'll free me from
my slolhful ways, ~
~The slothful warrior," she said. "Definitely has :I ring to il,"
I helped her put the groceries away, rhen headed out tlJe door,
1 heard Mama Chia call mer me, ''I'll meel you al your cabin in
about an hour,"
Mal ial p'o~ido pot dctOChOS de ~"!Ot

Couroge of the Outcast

1/ t om nor lor
my~oU.
who will be lor me?
And if I o m only lor my~elf.
Whot om 12
And
if
nol no w, whe n~
- Hillel, Saying s of tho Fo,hers
As IT TURNED om, his hike was nearly a.~ F.tr as the previous one,
but in the opposite direction, But .his dme: we: hilchi:t ride p;ur
way with a Molokai mncher lip a long dirt mad, nearly 10 the
ridge:. and from there suycd on the: rrnil until it dropped stceply.
then climbed ag.1in.
Evcry time Mama Chia startw breathing hard. I asked her
how she: was doing. When I did this the fouuh or fifd\ time, s he:
turned to me: and, as close: to angry as I'd 511 hcr, 5aid in pidgin
English. "You :15k how I do one mo' time and I sen' yo u back
home: wida !;Wift kick! You undc:rstan'? ~
In thc btc: aft ernoon,
:IS
we cleared :a final rise. Mama Ch ia
stopped quickly and put her arm ou[ 10 halt me. If she: hadn't, thc:
neX[ moment I might have had a shorr-[j\'ed c;lreer as a bird. We
stood at (he edge of a cliff. dropping a thousand feet down 10 a
160

Couroge 01 .he Qutco.t

161
dram:!!ic view: douds floated past a blue-green sea, and an albacr0$5 glidetlllc
ro~ the surf far below. My eyes followe:d the: soaring
bird until I noticed some kind of senlement, surrounded by tall
~ms. MK:Uaupapa,~ she pointed.
"What's down there?n I asked.
MA key to the elevator."
I only had a moment to consider this before Mama Chia
turned and stepped down into a hole in the earth. As , caught up
with her, I found my footing on some: kind of hidden stairwell in
the diff face. It was steep and dark. We didn't ... Ik at all: it was all
J could do co stay on my feec.
As she led me down the stairwell, we were treated to a dallcing p13y of light an
d shadow as beams of sunlight penett:lIed the
holes in this winding staircase. Finally, we emerged from che cliff
wall into the sunlight and descended farther. relying on handholds
to avert a fatal plunge to the rocks below.
MOnlY:I few people usc this tr-.til,M she said.
MJ can understand why; are you sure you're okay - ..
Shoming me a fierce glance. she interrupted. MThere's a mule
rrail. bur it has twenty-six swilchb;lcks. This is (luicke:r."
We said nothing morc until we rounded a steep bend and
walked down into a broad valley between the higher ridges, cliffs,
and the sea. Lush foliage and rows of trees bordered a small seulemen! ahead, :t
ml. beyond th:lI. sand and water. Orderly COW5 of
harracklike aparrmenlS. simple and sparse, :lnd some small Cottages stood by the
sea amidst the palm uees. Even in this sheltered
cove, the settlement was more spartan than luxurious - more like
an army OUtpoSt than a vacation getaway.
As we drew closer, 1 s:\w a few people outside. Some older
women were working in what looked like: a garden area; a lone

162
DAN MILLMAN
man. also older, was working with some lUnd of grinding machine
- I couldn't quilt make it our from this dismnce.
ru we drew ncar and walked through the scnicmcnt, people
looked up at lU, with friendly. but often sClrrecl, f;u:cs. Most
turned IOw:a.rd us and nodded. smiling at Mama C hia - apparendya familiar f.,cc
: hcre- while others remained imcru nn thdr
work. '''nlCSC arc the lcpcn of Molokai." Mama Chia whispered
sofdy as a warm drizzle passed over us. "First 3bandoncd hue. our
orrear and ignol':l.nce- quar:mdncd and lefr to die - in 1866. In
187). Father Damicn came here and served this community until
he contracted the disease and died sixteen years later," she said,
"when I w:u seven years otd."
"He died of the disease? It's catching?"
" Yc:s, but' it's no t c:asy (0 catch: 1 wouldn', worry :Ibolll
il."
Despite her assurance, 1 was worried about it. Lepers! I had
only Seen them po rtrayed in biblical movies, when Jesus performed holing miracl
es. Ht wasn't concerned abour Cltching mything - after all, he was jmM. But I wa
s ... worried.
"Thcre arc conventional doctors who serve these pcople, ~ she
said quietly as wc walked into thc village. ~ Though the lepers are,
for the most part, fullblooded Hawaiians, many arc Christian and
don't belic\'c in h,ma medicine. But there arc a few I counsel.
These are the people: who have had UIIU5u :11 dreams or experiences
- things their doctors don't understand,"
Trying not to stue, I saw a few people wilh obviou~ disfigure melliS, Olle wom:m
sat in a chair, readiug: she had
only a tiny stump for a leg. A man was missing both hands,
but that didn't stop him fronl grinding something with an decnic tool. "He makes
fine jewdry - silver dolphins," Mama
Chia said.
More people emergcd from their bungalows as WON of our

Courogl! of thl! OutCOl'

163
arrival spread. The youngest person I saw Wa!; in his forties. His
head w:u bandaged. All older woman wilh semggly Illir came up
to us and smiled; there were sores on her face, and she was miss
ing a few 1~lh .
"Aloha," sht: said 10 Mama Chia, then 10 me. Her smile was
bright. friendly, :lnd curious. To Mam:t Chi:!., she gestured with
her head {Oward me. ~\'('ho dis JUlII( [manW
"He's come make koku [help]," Mam:t Chia replied in her
besl pidgin English. "My plekhorse," slle added proudly, pointing
to me and generaling a beaming, if fragmented . smile from the
crone. "Maybe he stay u few days, help Out- only way I get Ihese
good looking boys Ollt of my hair," she added for good measure.
The old woman laughed :'lind said something in Hawaiian. Mama
Chia raised her eyebrows <ind laughed heartily at Ihis.
Puuled. 1 fUrned 10 Mama Chiao "Did you say we're staying
a fC'N days?" That was the first I'd heard of it.
~\\'t(;'t nOI slllying: )'011 are."
"You want me 10 silly here a few days? Is this rt':llly necessary?"
Mama Chi:t looked at me a linle sadly, bur s:lid nothing. 1 felr
ashamed. but 1 h:td :tbsolutely no desire to stay here.
"Look, I know you mean wtll. :tnd it might be good for me
and 311,h:lI, and Ihere arc Ilcople who like 10 do thi~ kind of Ihing
-like Ihal Father Damien - but lhe lruth is, I '\'e ncvcr been the
type to h:mg around hospitals or SOILP kitchens. I respcct people
who do those things, bOI it's JUSt not m}' calling, you know?"
She gave me tlmt look :Igain, and the silent treatmenr.
"Marna Chia." ( Hied 10 explain. _I jump backward if someone JIIU:J in my directi
on. 1 don't like to hang around illnesses.
And you're suggesting I stay here :md mingle with lepers?"
"Absolutely." she said, and fUrned toward a cOllage down on the
be:J.ch. 1followed her 10 some kind of celltml building. 3. dining hall.

164
DAN MillMAN
JUSt before we stepped inside. she $.1id to me, "Except fo r the:
doctors and pri~ts, visitors here are not common. Your eyes will
be a mirror for 1111:$( proplc; theY :lre sensitive: to you. If you look
at them with fear and revulsion. that is how they will see themscives. Do you un
derstand?"
Befote J could answer, we were s urrounded by seveml mcn
and women who rose from their food. obviously s(ad to sec Mama
C hia, who took her backpack from me and brought OUt a pack.1gc
of nuts and what looked [ike some kind of fnaitcakc she had
baked. "This is for lia, she said. "Whcte's'Iiat
M
People were coming up
[0
me, roo. "Alo ha, said one woman,
M
touching me liglllly on the shoulder. I tried not to shrink back,
2nd I noticed boch her h:mds looked nerma!. ~A1oh:t," I :tllswcrcd,
smiling on the ouuide.
Just then, I noticed people making way for a woman, the
youngest I had seen here - in her lme thirties, I guessed. She
looked about six months pregnant. It was a sight to watch her and
Mama Chia attempt to hug. Smiling. they :tpproachcd each odler
warily, leaning sidCW:lYS, like twO hlimps trying to dock.
1ia actu:t!ly looked very prett),. e\'en with a crippled h:md and
a bandagtrl :);[01. Mama Chia then g:1\'e her the ake. "'nlis is lo r
you - and the bab)'." she s,'lid.
"Mah:t!o!~ 'ria said. laughing, then turned to me. "This is
your new bo),friend?" she ruiked Mama Chia,
"No," 5he declared. "You know my boyfriends are beuer looking - and younger." Th
ey laughed ag.ain.
"He insisted 011 coming here to help out in the g.'lrdcn for a
few days; he's :I. strong boy and was glad 10 hear the ruJe that volunteers work
until d'lrk." Mama Chia turned toward me, and with
a nourish said, "Tia. this fell a named Dan."
'Iia hugged me ...:arml)" Then she [limed back to Mama Chia:
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

Courage 0 1 the Out co lt

,.5
~I'm
so glad to see you!" With another hug - they had it down
now - she walked ofT to show M:lo):'I Chb's oke to the others.
We sat down to eat. A woman offered me a tray offrc:sh fruit;
she wa.<i very gr:tciolls. bur I couldn't help noticing th:u she had
only one eye on a SClrred fJce. 1 wasn't very hungry. :'Ind 1 was
about to tell her so, wben I looked up imo her one eye. And we
made some kind of contact; her eye W 'JS so clear, and bright - for
a moment, 1 think 1 saw her soul in there, and it looked jwt like
mine. I accepted what she oflcred. "Mahala," I uid,
lATER, WHILE MAMA CilIA and I sat alone on two old wooden
ch:lies, I asked her, MWhy was that woman lia so grateful for a cake:?"
She laughed, "That wasn't about the cake - though I do
make wonderful cakes. She was grateful bCCluse I've found a home
for her baby."
v
IOU W hat.,She looked at me as if r were very dense, and she was going (Q
have to move her lips very slowly. "Did you notice that there are
no children here? None ate :llIowe<l. bec."luse of the disease.
Children born of lepers do not usually have the disease, but ,they
are more susceptible, 50 they cannot live here. That's perhaps the
saddest thing of all, because these people have a special affection
fot children. Two momhs before the binh of a child, the woman
n\llst leave, h:....e it elsewhere, and say good-bye."
"You mean lia WOO'( sec her child - she has (Q give it up?"
"Yes, but I found a fumi ly not toO fur (IW;J,y. She'll be ~bl e to
visit her child; that's what she's so happy about." Mama Chia
stood abruptly. "I have people to sec, and things to do, so I'll see
you around."
~Wait a minute! I didn't say I w.u staying."
"Well, arc: you?"

DAN MILLMAN
166
[Jidn't an swt r right aW Jy. We walked in silcnce:, d ow n toward
some bungalows, ami the beach area a I~w hundrtd ya rds further.
Then I as ked, ~ Do YOLl come here [0 [each thcm~"
KNo, to brn from them," She p;l\Iscd, se~n:hing for words.
"These: arc ordinary people, Dan , Were it not for their disc;lSC,
they would have been working in the cane fields. selling insuIJncc:,
pra cticing mc{li cin c, w orkin g in hanks wh:m:vcr ot her peo ple
do. I d on't walll 10 ideali'lC: [hem; Ihe), have rhe typic,,1 problems
a nd s~mc fea l's as anyo ne o:Ist'.
uHur
(."O u r;lgc i ~
People d on't
IC$(
lik e: a muscle; it ge ts ~ lro n gcr with practice:.
their spirit
I,lnl il
th ey're: faced wirh adversit),.
TI1CSC people have f.l ccd some (Jf t he hardcH em otional a~ well as
p hysictl b:tttles: O str;L ci,t ed by fear ful people, th ey live in a village
without the laughter of children, The wo rd ' leper' has become
sy n o n y1l1OU~ for 'one wh o is flLrned away fro m: a par iah :lb:l.udolled by th e wo rld. Few have faced :I~ much, ;\tId few h:l.ve
show n such spirit.
" I'm lLllracu:d anywh ere tll ere',~ 'Llot o f spi rit. That's why I've
ta ken special in tcteS[ in these people nor
li S :I
hca ler " ,
friend."
~Aren't they th e $,ll1le thing?~
"Yes." she smiled. "J su ppose

rh ~ are,"
"Wc:ll, I gue~ s I ca n be a friend,
UIU,
1'1\ sta y but jLl St for a
few days."
"If you gr it you r teet h and just put in your ti me. )'ou'll have
wasted iT. T his week is ;11>01lt openi ng yo ur heart as mu ch as
yo u ca n."
"A week11 thought you said ;\ few d;LYS\"
"Aloha," she said. IUssing
m~' a
horde of SULlscreen :1I1d
h e ad ~
ing off to visi t :l neaTb), setdemeur. Shakin g my heJd, I turned and
walk~ d back down toward th e row o f co t!3ge~, thinkin g about
adversity, :\IId ahout spirit.

Courage of the Outcoll

167
I found my way to [he main hall, and entered. It rorned out
to be the infirmary, full of slr.Ulge smells and p~'Ople in beds,
behind curtains. A very lean, emaciated man about Mama Chia's
age took me by Ihe arm. ~Come," he said, releasing my arm :lS we
left the infirmary, indicating I should follow him,
11len he pointed 10 another larger, barr:lck-style building.
~Where you eat. Later, be said. Then, pointing [0 himsc:lf, he
added, " My name _ Manoa.
"Aloh~." I Solid. GI~d to meet you, Manoa," Not sure he
underslood me, 1 pointed to myself and said, "Dan."
He extended a stump with three fingers 10 shake hands; I hesitated only a moment
. He smiled warmly, nodding as i(he understood. Ihen gC$lured for me 10 follow.
We w:'Ilked [0 a large plot of eartll, now being cleared.
Someone else greeted me, handed me a hoc, 3nd pointed to 3 seetion of earth. Tha
t was Ih:\!,
I spent the rest of that day, until niglllfulJ. working in the garden. Disorient
ating as it was, I felt glad to have a clear taSk [0 do
- to be helping Ollt - giving somelhing for a change.
R
R
where I'd sleep; at least I had my own room.
I slept well and woke up hungry.
In
main dining hall, I sar across from some people who
smiled at me btl[ spoke mosfly to one another in Hawaiian with a
bit of pidgin English. Everyone at my table was friendly, handing
me food al?in and ab'l1in. while I tried to ignore: their lesions.
That day. we - rhe g.lrdening crew and I - made good
progress, turning and bmtking the soul, as r:tinsqualls passed over
and were gone. I was careful (0 wear the sunscreen, and someone
had loaned me a wide-brimmed hat,
The first few days were the hardest - the: str.lngeness of being
alone in this different world. The residents seemed to understand
MANOA SHOWD ME
me

168
DAN MILLMAN
this. Another day passed in that garden. I was getting used to the:
routine.
Though nothing changed outw:mlly. something shifted inside
me. A5 the people of this colony had come 10 accept their lives, I
came to accept them, roo, not as ~lcpcrs," but as people. I stopped
being an observer :md st:arrcd
[0
fed .a sense of community.
After chis. I was able to tunc in to a spcciaJ camaraderie herc.
born of isolation; from their own suffering came a deeper compassion for the pai
n of the world.
returning from the latrine area, I saw an old
man with twisted, deformed feet making his way across the comTHIt NUT MORNING,
pound, trembling as he leaned on:1 p:tirof crutches. JUSt then. one
of the crutches broke and he fdl. I ran over to help him up. He
waved me off, muttering something and smiling a toothless smile,
then s[Qod up by himself. Holding Ille broken crutch in one h:md,
he hobbled on the other one off [Qward the infirmary.
There was no more work to be done in the garden umil the
seed arrived, but I was able to nnd plenty to do - in fact, I was
busy morning till night, carrying water, helping change bandages.
Someone even asked me to cut his hair, which I botched, but he
didn't seem [Q mind at all.
All the while we ch:m ered and laughed, only half understanding each other. Thes
e were among the most satisCying days I'd ever
spent - lending a helping hand. And on the fifth day a wave of
compassion washed over me - like nothing I had experienced
before. Ever. And I understood Mama Chia's purpose. On that day
J stopped worrying about getting "tainted" by the disease, and
sC3Ited wanting, really wanting. to be of service. in any way I could.
My heart was opcning. I sc:m;:hed for something more I
could contribute. I couldn't leach gymnastics; most of them were tOO
Malcroal pro\.'Ooo par dcrochos de aUIO

Coutoge of the QuICO$1

169
old. I didn't have any other special skills that I knew of. TIlen, as
I walked past a pC'olceful area juS! of}' the centrJI ~ompound. it
came to me: I'd help make a pond. That was it! Something of
beauty I could lca\'e behind.
I'd worked for a landscape gardener one ;summer and had
larned the basics. I found OUt that the commun ity had some bags
of concrete stored. in a shed and all the tools we'd need. A picture
formed in my mind: the vision of a heauti"II, serene pond. a place
to si[ and meditate, or just take a brief rest. The ocean was just a
few hundred yards away, but this pond would be special.
1 showed a sketch to Manoa; he showed it 10 some of the others. They agreed it w
as a good idea, and a few men and I began
digging.
just when we were ready to mix the concrete,
Mama Chia showed up. "Well, Dan, ~ she Solid, ";1 week has "asset!.
I hope you've stayed OUt of mischief.~
" It hasn', been a week already, has it? ..
"Yes. One week,"
"Well, you see , .. look, we're right in the middle of a project
- am you come back in a few days1~
"I don't know,H she saill shaking her head, "We have other
things to do - your tr:lining . .. "
"Yes 1 know, bUI I'd really like 10 finish Ihis."
Mama Chia sighed and shrugged her shouldm. "Then we may
not have time for a special tecllllique to gel in louch with - "
"JUSt a few more dayst"
"Have it your way," she said, turning toward one of the bungalows. I caught a gl
impse of her face. She looked positively smug.
I only gave it :lIllOmenl's reflection before lifling anOlher bag of
concrete.
THE NEXT DAY,

170
DAN MILLMAN
see us complcte the stoncwork. And the momenr it W:15 done, I knew it w:u time t
o leave.
Several men came up fO shake my hand. We'd formed il bond based
on working on a common goal. sweating together - a bond men
must h:wc t'xperienced for thous.1nds years. It felt good.
I was going to miss them all. 1 fclt even closer to Illese auteurs
from society than to my profcssional col1cab'Ue5 back in O ll ia.
Maybe because I had a[~y:; fdt like all omca.~t, too. Or maybe it
MAMA CilIA IUITURN.D jUs(
in time
(0
or
was because of our shared task, or their openness, directness. and
honesty. 'I1'e5C men had nmhing left to hide. They weren't trying
to look good or ~avc face. They had dropped their social m:tSk.~,
allowing me
10
drop mine, too.
I was turning to le:tvc with my wcll. roundt.-d kahuna when 'Ii:!.
came over and huggo:d bO[h of us. 1 hugged her t~l\d~r1}', f~('ling
h~r sorrow and COllr;Jge, knowing that she wou ld 500n have to give
lip her baby,
As MAMA CHlA led me down to ....'ard the beach, other fedings
surfaced. 100: All the gratitude, sorrow, and love for Mama Chia [
had SCI :l.Side these: past ten days flooded in. Facing her. I placed
my hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
~ You'vc bn so good w me." I told her, M
] wi5h there were
something more J could do for you ... , ~ I had to take a slow, deep
breath w hold off my sorrow. MYoU'rc: such a ... kind person." it
just doesn't secm r.1ir, and ... 1 don't deserve all the time, the
energy, the life )'ou'\le given me. How Co1n I ever repay }'o u ~"
In answer. she hugged me for a long lime. I held this old
woman in a w'''y I'd ncver heell able 10 embmce SOCl';ltes.
Stepping back, she flashed me a bright smile: M] fOL'e what I do
- someday you will understand this. And what I do is not for
you, nor for Socrm(,5, so thanks :m:n', necessary or appropriate, I
',\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<:: l1Q$ do nulor

Courogo of th e Qu lcoll
171
act for a larger cause, a higher mission. By assisting you, I'll be
:wisdng mllny others through you. Co me,~ she said. wLc:t's go for
a walk on the beach."
I surveyed the village, now back to its normal routine, and I
fclt inspired by the aloha :spiri t of these people. I saw them with
different eyes than those I had come with. Even though other
memories might fade, this wou ld remain one of the most vivid more rc.11, and la
sting, than any vision.

CHAPTER
18
Illuminations
in the Dead of Night
The seed of God
I~
in tis:
Peof seeds g row into pear trees;
Ho;!:el $eeds inlo ~ ozel Irees;
And God seeds Into God .
- Meisler Eckehart
Nf!ITHER Of us SAID Muell as we walked along (he stretch of
white sand; we JUSt listened to the rush of waves, and the shrill
cries of the albatross. pmolling the coast. Mama Chia scanned the
horizon, watching the long shadows can by me I:m~ afternoon sun
like a cal, seeing things not visible
[0
moS( of us. I examined the
d riftwood. pushed far up onto the beach by an unusually high
(ide. gcneraled by a slOrm the night before. I combed the bc:u.::h,
looking for shells. 5achi wouldn't be impressed by shells, but Holly
would like them. My little daughter, I thought, picturing Holly's
sweet face. and miS$i ng her. I thought of Linda, toO, and won~
dered if perhaps our lives were meant to go separate ways.
Glanci ng back, I saw the shadows CUt across our meandering
fmil of footprints in the wet sand. I ga2.Cd down, scarching for sou~
venirs from the sea, and Mama Chia continued to scan the hon7.on, and the Stretc
h of beach ahead.
172
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

Illumillot io lll ill the Deod o f Ni g ht

173
We sloshed out into knee-deep surf to go Mound a rocky
point. She took a deep breath and I thought she w.LS going (0 (ell
me something. But M:una Chia was reacting to one of me saddest
and strangest sights I'd ever beheld: ThoUSllnm of starfish, washed
up by the recent SlOrm, littered the beach. Beautiful nve-pointed
Stars. pink and tan. lay in the hot sand, drying out and dying.
I StOPped in my tracks, awestruck by this massive marine
graveyard. I'd ru.d about grounded whales and dolphins, but I had
ncvcr actually seen one. Now, confronted by thousands of dying
creatures, I felt numb and helpless.
But without miuiing a single limping step, Mama Chia
walked over to a nearby srarnsh. bent over to pick it up, walked
to the water's edge, and placed it in the water. She then
walked back and picked up another little star, and returned the
creature to the sea.
Completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of mrfish, I
uJd, ~Mama Chia, there are so many - how can what you're
doing make any dilference?n
She looked up at me for a moment as she lowered another
st:unsh into the sea. " It makes a difference to this one,n she
replied.
Of course she was right. I picked up a starfish in each hand.
and followed her example. Then I delivered another two into the
sea. We continued through the afternoon and into the evening,
under the light of the moon. Many starfish died anyway. But we
did our best.
Mama Ch ia kept bending down, again and again and again.
But there was nothing I could say to dissu3de her. She would live
until she died. And :'IS long :'IS I was here, on the isi3nd, I would
help her. We worked long into the night. Finally, bone weary bur
feeling good, we lay in the soft sand, and slept.
Maler,al prol.'Oido par dc,m;toos de auto

174
DAN MILLMAN
uro ABRUrTLY, thinking it was dawn. But th~
light that nickered in my eyes was a crackling fire. with Mama
Chia siuing n~rby. her back [Q me.
"Couldn't sletp?" I said as I approached. so as nor to nartle her.
"Had enough sleep." she said, never taking her eyes from
I AWOKl!. AND SAT
the fire.
I stood behind ber :lnd m;waged her shoulders and b:lck.
"What do you sec in the fire? " I asked. whhout expecting a reply.
"What if I told y()U I wasn't from this planet!" she asked.
\'Vhflf?"
"Suppose I told you that neither was Socrates? Or you?"
I didn't know what to say - whether to take her seriously. "Is
that what you saw in the fire ?" was aliI could think [Q ask.
"Sit down," she said. "Sec for yoursdf. n
I sat. and sued into the dancing flames,
Mama Chi.:J. rose slowly, and began [0 knead the mu..<:des of
my back wilh her strong hands. "You asked me why I've been here
for you. It'~ bec:.tuse we're family," she revealed. "Part of the ~ame
spiritual family."
"\'('hat do you mean - " I never gO[ to finish my scn[ence.
Mama Chia gave me a solid whack at the back of my neck. I saw
slars, Ihen only the fire . .. deeper .. deeper ..
I SAW THE BEGINNINGS of dme and ~pace. when Spiri[ became [he
"ten thousand things": the star forms, the planets, the mountains.
[he seas, and the crealUrC$ great and smaJi Ihat spawned there.
But [here were no humans. Before history, in a time of magic.
when Mind allowed it. [he:: legends were born . The animals
evolved on earth, growing from all that preceded them. BUI no
human souls cxined on the planet.
I saw a vision of the ancient universe. where, within Ihe curv~
of space, angelic souls played in realms of freedom and bliss. This
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

Illuminationl in thl Dlod 01 Nighl

175
m~mory.
Stored within th~ most ancient r-ecords of the psyche.
beame the ucherype for that place we call heaven.
A wave of these souls came down lO earth because they were
curious abour the material realm - about che animal forms. and
about sexual-creadve energy - about what it would be like in 3
body.
And so. they ovenhadowed the primilive forms of animals
that roamed the earth; they entered them. saw through their eyes.
felt through their skin, :md experienced the material realm and lire
on earth.
I saw them. I fclt them . ~ they grrw ready to leave their animal hosts, and ret
urn to their Source. But these souls misjudged
the magnetic attraction of the material realm; they became
tUPped. identified with the animal consciousness. Thus began 2
great adventure on this planet.
Th~ soul energies. and their humanlike higher conscious
ness within the animals, impacted the DNA structure. causing
immedi:He and radia l evolutionary leaps. This was revealed 10 me
in visions within the genede spirals themselves.
The nexl generation of crC2lures provided the basis for tile
Greek myths - centaurs. mermaids. satyrs. and nymphs; half animal. half human. t
hey were the source of legends, the Olympian
gods cohabitating with animals and humaru.
The first wave had forgouen that they were of Spirit, not
of flesh; they had become identified with their hosts. So a wave of
missiorwy souls came down (0 rescue the firsr wave. to pull them
OUI . But they, too, were uapped.
lime flashed by. centuries in an instant. A serond rescue mission w;u sent; thit
: time. only the most powerful souls made the
2nCmpt - and very few escaped. They. too. remained. trapped by
their own desirc for power. They became the kings. the quttn,.
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176
DAN MILLMAN
the pharaohs. and the chiefs the rulers of the lands of earth.
Some were: like King Arthur; others. like Anila the Hun.
A third and final rescue mission was sent. These: very special
souls were the most COUT:lgoous of all- the peaceful warrior souls
- because they knew chey weren't coming. b:tckj they knew they
would be destined to li\,(: within a morral body for acons suffering, losing loved ones, in mortal p:tin and fear, until all souls
were frcc,
They werc a volunteer missio n. And they came to remind all
others who th~ are. They include Clrpenrc:rs, studeillS, doctors.
artists, athletes. musicians. and ne'er-dc-wells - gcniusc.~ and
madmen, criminals : tnd saints. Most have forgotten their mission .
but an ember sdJl glows willtin the hems and memories of those
who arc destined to awaken to their heritage a~ the servants of
humanity, and to awaken others.
These rescuers :ue not Mbcuer" souls, unless love makes thenl
so. They may be lost. or found. But they arc awakening, now.
Hundreds of thousands of souls on the planet - becoming a spiritual family.
11'ULLED MY EYES from the flames and turned 10 Mama Chia,
siuins next 10 me. Still g:t:ting into the fire, she saill. "My soul is
one of those who came in the final rescue rnis.sion. ru was the soul
of the man }'OU call 'Socf".ltcs.' And your so ul as wdl."."
That explained that sense of recognition I had fdr in meeting
her - and a few others in my life as wcU.
~Therc are man}' others." she continued, ~hundreds of thousands. sC:luered acros
s the planet - who feci a call to sCPo'C; who
know deep inside that they arc here to do something, but cannot
quite articulate what that something may be. More coming in all
rhe dme. many of our children, searching to find out who they are
M;!ic
I pl01cgklo po< de
hos 00 a Jlor

IlluminOlionl in Ihe Oeod of Nighl

177
:md what they :lre here to do. AU have in common a certain restlessness - 3. dec
p scnsc of being somehow diffmnr, ofbcing oddballs, visitors here. never quire f
ining in. We fecl2t times a longing
to 'go home,' but we're not exactly sure where that is. We often
h:ave giving, but rath~r insecure natures.
"Wdl, we are nOt here to 'fit in,' as much as we might like to.
We are here to teach. to lead, to he:tl, to remind others. if only by
our example.
"The earth has been the school for most human souls, bur our
souls are not yet completdy of this earth. We have been schooled
elsewhere; there arc things we just know without knowing how we
know - thin~ we recognize, as if this is a refresher course, and
we ate maS[ definitcly here on a service mission.
"Your seuch, Dan, will be for ways to make a difference - fim
to awaken yourself. [hen to find the right leverage, [he ben means to
find the calling most natural and effective in ~ching out to others.
It is like this for all the peaceful warriors who share this mission.
One of u.s might become a haircutter; another, a tc:!.cOer; a third, 3
stockbroker or pet groomer or counselor. Some of U$ become
f.tmousi others remain anonymous. Each of us plays a pan."
We ~I there, suring OUI 10 Se:1 for 3 while - I don'l know
how long - before she spoke again. "So here you are, one of
many like-minded souls in a very different 'wrapping,' treading
water in the ocean of karma, but there's 3 rowboat ncarby much closer to you th2
n to many others. Before you can help olher$ into the OO:lt, you have to get in
yourself.
"And that is wh3t ),our prepuation is about. That is why you
met Socr"'tcs, :md why I 3m he~ working wirh you. No[ beause
you arc somehow special or more dC:S(rving. but bec:lusc you have
within you that unstoppable impulse to share yourself wilh others,"
She paused. ~Somed3.y, you will write, teach, :lnd do other thing:-;.
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

178
DAN MillMAN
too, to r~:lch
OUt 10
you r spiritual family. to rtmind them of their
mission. TO give rhe clarion call."
The weight of rcsponsibili[}' hit me like a falling 53fc. "'leach
these thinS$? I ctn'r even remember balf of what you say. And I've
no talent for writing," I protested. "My grades in English weren't
so good,"
She smiled. '" sec what I see,"
In another few hours, it would be dawn; the
down to embers when I spoke again.
~you
nn: had died
uy there :ue many souls
like me -"
"Yes. but you combine a particular sct of talents and qualities
that make you:l. good uansmiuer. So you and SOCl':I.tCS found e:\ch
other, ;nd he scm you TO me,"
M:una Chia then lay dowu. curlc:d up. and slept. I Starl-d o llr
to sea. until the first hint of the sun lit the sky at the eastern tip of
the island, and sleep finall y C3me.
Strnnge, w:tking up on a beach, the warm tropical air
my only bl:mkct. Hen: Ihe air felt comforlablc e\'cn at dawn, like
a summer morning in the Midwest.
Sleeping in the open air whened my appetite, and bre:tkfan,
cource,o;y of Mama C hia's boltomlm backpack, was both simple
and memorable: a handful of fi gs. a fe...... maGidamia nues, an
orange, and a banana. An illuminating night had passed; I won
dered what the new day would bring.
As it turned oue, the day was unevenlful. \'1e spent most of it
hiking home. and the evening ha\ing Ie::!. and listening to music
on her old phonograph. Mama Chia retired early; I slept on her
living room floor,
The following dar. I would meet a ghost, and set into motion
a series of events that would again change the course of my lire.
MORNINC.

CHAPTER
19
Revelation and the
Warrior's Way
To~e
time
10
deli berate,
but whon the time for action arrives,
slOp rhil'lk ing and go in .
- Andrew Jachon
IT
CAME OUT OP NOWHERE,
on an ordinary day. as surprises
do. It came from seeds planted in che past . " I thought you might
like to meet Sachi's family," Mama Chia said as we walked. along
an un&mili:u path into the forest. Why was she smiling like a
Cheshire cal?
Half a mile later, we entered a dearing where a lovely
house uood, larger than Mama Chia', but similar in design. with
a garden to the side.
A little boy, about nvc years old, emerged. jumped down the
rwo steps, and f2n straight at me, down the path . With a "H i.
Dan!" he jum~d up imo my arms. laughing. as if he'd known me
all my life:.
"Well, hi.. ,"
"My name's Soer-nes," he said proudly.
179
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de ~UIO

180
DAN MILLMAN
"Re:\lIy~ ~
I s:lid, surprised. ~Well, that's a fint: name," llookeu
up [0 ~c a smail, slim woman, very lovely, wrapped in a deep bluc.
flowered sarong. following her son. But she had no intention, it
mrnc.'<i OUf, of jumping inco my arms,
Smiling gr:aciousiy. she held out her hand.
~Hdlo.
Dan. I'm
Sar.1h ...
~Hello,
I'm ... glad to meet you." Puzz.h:d, I glanced at M3m:a
Chiao "Docs everyone: around here know mc?~ I asked.
Mama Chia, Sarah, 53chi. and little Socrates all laughed with
delight; I didn't understand what was so fu nny, but rhey were: certainly enjoyi
ng something.
"Sachi and Soc's father has told them a lot aOOm you," Mama
Chia said, poindng behind me.
1 turned, ~Wcll, who - ?"
"Hello. Dan," a voice interrupted me.
I turned and sr:m:d, then gaped, nly j;I\V Open wide. I had
nevc:r seen a ghost before, Bm there he was - tall and slim . wilh
:1 curly blond beard, deep-sct eyes, a1ld a crinkled smile. "JosepM
Is ch:J.t re:Lily you?"
He gave me a bear hug ;and sbpped me on the back. Then J
stepped away. ~ But ... but he told me you died - of leukemia . ,.~
"Djcd?~ said Joscph. still grinning. "Wdl, I am a litde tired ... "
"What h;app cnc d ?~ f :uked, "How - ..
"Why don'c you twO go for a walk?" Sarah suggesced. "You
have some cllching up to do."
"Good idea," Joseph answered.
As we walked slowly into the forest. Joseph cleared up the
mystery of his ;J.pparcm death.
'" did have leukemia," he confirmed, "I still do, but wirh
M;J.ma Chia's help, my body is handling it okay. But in a way,
$ocr:ItCS w:lS right. , did die 10 the world for 5Cveral months. I

Revelation ond the Worrior's Way

181
became a renunci:lle, a hermit. I cold him I was going co disappear
into the forest, fau, and pray umil J died or healed, Come to think
of it," he said, ''I'd better go back a few years to 611 you in.
"I was r.1ised in the Midwest by a family of strangers, I'll
always be gr.1tdul to them for getting me through my childhood
diseases - all those nighu I kept them up - and for giving me
food :lnd shelter. But I never quite fit in, you know? It was as if
they had adopted me, fOUild me somewhere."
"Yes. n I said. ~J know. n
"So Ihe 11m chance I gOt, I hit the road - worked my way
across the coumry, hcade:d OUt coward the: West Coast, doing odd
jobs. mostly. And when I got to LA., I just kept going. I ended up
here. on Molokai. I had a friend who lived here. He encouraged
me to settle. So I became a young 'agricultural entrepreneur,' and
cultiv3.ted cannabis _ "
"You grew marijuana?'"
'Yes. Thai was 1960, and it JUSt seemed like Ihe Ihing 10 do. I
don'[ do that anymore, because - well. now it just doesn't seem
like rhe rhing to do. I niH couk when I get a chance, but there
:lren't many chances around here. So I build (;Ibinels and bureaus
- that sort of thing. I like working with wood. It pays the bills
and keeps me out of misehief." He smiled.
"Anyway, back then, I made a 1m of money, and about that
time. I married Samh. In 196", Sachi was born, and ..... Joseph
paused here - 1 think it pained him co rt'C:l.!l it - "I just split.
I. .. " He searched for the right worru. wDan , you undermnd
about the thrc:c: selves. right?"
I nodded. MI am acqu:1inted with my Basic Self, but 1 SOrt of
lost touch with my Higher Self," I answered.
"JUSt the opposite with me." said Joseph. "r rejected my Basic
Self, All I wanted was 10 be up anu OUt of here: - to go home.
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pol' dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

182
DAN MILLMAN
whererer rn3[ was, I tried everything to gel high. I couldn't cope
wi,h the h:1SStes of daily life. I [old myself I was :l 'spiritual being,'
a 'creative: artist' who didn't have [0 deal with 'realir( I spent most
of my time medit:lting, communing with nature, reading - aU the
time hoping [0 go 'somc'where else' - anywl\(~ re 1wouldn't have (0
dol with the drudgery, the details. the physicality of this realm.
MThen. when 53chi came along - I w:lsn'[ ready 10 have: children. to work on a r
dation$hip or responsibilities; I didn't know
how to deal with it. So I took half our funds and split, I didn't
know where to go, bur I cndl up ill Berkeley, C:llifornia, :lOd
after a few weeks. I ran into this old guy - ~
"At a gas st:l.lioo," 1 laughed, completing Joseph's semence
for him.
"You can imagine the tCSt. Socrates insisted I get responsible
work ~fore he'd (c:lch me, so I 5taned (he cafe!. We made a de:.l ,"
he said. "I fed him some good food. and he turned my life upside
down,"
"Sounds fuir (0 O1e.- I said, grinning.
"More than &'ir," Jo~ph agreed. ar got my moncy'~ worth; he
re;tlly kicked my ass. 1 haven't ~en him for about 11,'e ye-J.rs.
though, Went b;tck (0 vi~it twO years ago, but he'd gone. H e once
S3.id something about going to the mounrnins, maybe somll,.'Where
in the Sierras - I don't know, I doubt we'll Stt him for a while."
"Well, how did you turn it around? r mean. you came back
here. m:lde a go of your relationship - you build c:abincts. main
tain a business .. ,"
Joseph smiled at me as I COUllted all the responsible things he
did on my fingers. "It still isn't easy," he said. "But do you remem~r what Soc
used to remind us? You know, about a chain breaking at it.'! weaken link - and s
o do wI!? Well. I JUSt decided I'd
better work on my weak links,"
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dc'e<::11O$ do nulor

R,v,lotion ond
'h,
Worrior'l Woy
183
'" still have my work cut Out for me," , said. "But I'm really
not sure how to 'work on' getting into my he;J.rt. Mam;J. Chin nid
it had to come of its own accord."
Joseph pausro, thoughtful, and said, ~, think it's just a matter
of ~coming more and more aware. Simple awareness c;J.n set in
motion m:lOY kinds of healing."
We Ut quietly for a white, then' remindt'd him, "You said
you were ill."
Startlro out of rcvt'rie, Joseph ~plied, "Yes - nnd I had
intendro to go to the mountajns to fast and pray, as I told you.
Bm then I remembered something Socnncs had told me about Ijfe
being h;J.rd either way, whether you space OUI ;J.nd give up, or
whether you go for it. Well. it sank in. I realized that the mounr:a.in hermit t
hing would be another way to get our of the body. to
escape:, I probably would have died.
"But I dc:cidro to rerum to Molokai, come what may, to take
up where I'd left off - but do it righr - with as much lime as I
lud left to do it in. if arab would have me back.
"She wclcomro me with open arms," he said. "Everything
wOrXro OUt so incredibly," he said. "As soon as I commiuro to
coming back and digging in 2nd going for it. it all ft'll into place,"
~How? "
"Well. th2t'S wht'n I swtc:d working with Mama Chia. She
aughr me a few things. and hdpc:d me to haL"
"It surt' worked," I said. "I've.\an your family."
Joseph g;lye me a look of complete contentment - a look r envied. And I rcRcaro
SoIdfy about rhe dwnbla in which I'd left my
own ITWl'i2ge and 6.mily. Bur that ~ going to ch:tnge. r cold. mysdf.
Joseph stood ,lowly, "I'm glad to sec YO" :l.S'lin. Dan,"
"Be'l[ thing chat's tuppoened to me in 2 tong rime: I replied.
~And a lot of good things h:avc luppcncd.~
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

184
DAN MILlMAN
"I hdi~\lt that,"
h~
said.
MAnuzing how \I't bot h fuund our wa}' lO M :ull:t Chi:\."
i s, ~
"I[ sure
h e echoed . MAnd 50 is shc.~
"Hey, and ~ p c~k ill g of am~tin g, that da ughrcr of )'o ur~ is a
wonder," I said th ell I rem em b ered wbat h ad hap pened in
town. MSitc did gCI a I.>il ofa scare, though."
" [ know ... Sachi wId
Illt
about it. But fro m what I hear, she
iii Treub lt."
"YOll gO I Ih ~ t right," I declared. " But Ih:l\ inci d ent
som ething: I nced !O [cam som e m~r[ i:J.1 :lrts."
was n't th e (I n c who
W:\ $
" I'm .~urpri ~cd SO (:ra l c.~
ing
3[
Ilc"c:r
t~ught
me
ta ught )'O ll . H e wa ,~ pretty :1111:11,it, yO u know."
"Yeah . I kn ow, LltH I Wa~ ~o foc\l~cd on gymn:lsri Oi ,
yo u
rcmC111ucr. "
H

"Ob, 11m's ri ghl. Joseph looked thoughtful. th en said, "Wel l,

Fu ji used
I()
~lU d y some kind of b ralc. Hc's a good man. M:l)'bc
he can hel p yo u, b ut , Dan, for th is situatio n. [ don't think Icarnin g to
fight is rea ll y th e answer. I know those boys. T hey're no t
rcall y bad kids. Once th e), hel ped me push Ill)' Cllr half a mile to:1
g:J S st:Hion. They're just bored. and fru strated. There aren't many
j(')bs j Ihey probab ly don't feel terrib ly good a6011{ the mse lves sa m e old
slOr),." He sig hed.
KYellh . I kn ow,"! replied. I loo ked ilt Joseph . " I'm glad )'o u'rc
a I,Ive. "
"Me,
1(')0."
he anslVered.
;\S WE EMIlRGIlD from lhe forest and app roached Joseph's from
steps. little Socr;Hes C~ l1le runnin g. jumped lip in to Josep h's ~rms .
Ihen turn ed hi .~ dad's face
$0
they were nose
10
nose. It
W:l S
clear
he wanted his f.1the r :~ undivi ded atten tion.
Jn~eph
kissecl $n, on the nose li nd turned to me. 'Till going

Revelotion ond the Worrior', Woy

185
back to Oahu tomorrow to complete a job, and, well- I need to
spend some time with my fam ily."
"Oh - slife," I said. "Maybe rJI sec you when yOll get oock. ~
"COUnt on it," he smiled. Sarah C".lIne out. too, and put her
ann around her husband. They waved as I IUrne:d oock down the
path. I hCllrd Sachiko's voice: from their COl.bin as she c:!.lled to her
filmi)" MFood's feady."
W:!.lking back to my c:Jbin, I fdt a stab of regret ;t.\ I thought
ofLi nda and Holly. I wondered if I'd ever have a happy family of
my own.
THAT AfTRNOON, wandering through the forest paths. I found
my w:ly to Sci Fujimoto's howe. Mitsu answered the door. MI just
put [he baby down," she whispered. "Fuji's not here, but he should
be back any time. You want [Q wait inside?"
"Thanks, Mrs. Fujimoto - "
"Call me Mitsu."
"Thanks, Miuu, but I'd like to wait in the garden for a while,
if that's Ok.1Y. ~
"Play with the garden spirits, eh?" she sai,l, smiling.
"Something like that," I replied.
I had always had a special feding about gardens, about sitting
in the dift, surrounded by plants. So I lay on my side. feeling the
warm, rich earth radiate pleasant heat on my chest and stomach,
3nd I gaud up dose at a squ:uh blossom, its yel low flower so ddi
cate, with the most subtle fragrance, waving in the gentle breeze.
And I did fcd the g:mlcn spirits - a disrinctivc energy
50 different from the cold, functional concrete of the cities and
sidewalks, expan~s of stark gray blocks, wilh their stiffness
:trId rigidity. Here, I felt at peace....
The honk of Fuji's truck brought me back to the business at
M~le"al p'o~por
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186
DAN MILLMAN
hand. I walked over to him, waved, and helped him unload 50mc
bags of fenililCr to complement his compoS( pile. "Nice to sec
you, Dan glad to h;wc some help.
H
"Actually, Fuji. I Clme [o:lSk for your help. ~ I s:lid.
He SlOpped and looked over at me, cmious. ~ How can I help
YOII?"
~Jo5cph
said you usw to know some kluate,"
A smile of recognition p;used over his filet. "Oh. I see. Yes,
I've slUdied a Ihlle of this. a lillie orlhar. I'm nOl :15 quick now have to hit
the bad guys wilh bags of ferriliur. or with my Clt," he
joked. "What do you want whh karate - somebody YOll want me
to beat up?~ His smile broadened as he muck a pose, puffing up
his chest in mock bravado.
"No," I [~ughc:d. "Nodling like dUll. It's JUSt dmt I tbink I
should learn how to defend myself. n
"Not a had idea: YOIi never know when you'll need jt,~ he said,
"There's a pretty good school in town - I'vc stoppcd by and
watched a fcw times."
Oh, [ don't think I'd bc ablc to take lessons in town right
now: 1 don't h:l.\c thc time. ~
~What YOll wanl 10 do, take a sc:lfde:fe:n~e pill~ ~ he aske:d.
-No." I answe:red.laughing again.
~ I was wondaing if you could teach me something."
"Me?~ He: shook his held. "h's been tOO many Yell'S, Dan. I've:
forgouen more than I know." He took a stance. kicked the air.
dlen hc:ld his back, comically. "Sec what I mcant
"Fuji, I'm serious, This is impomm to me.~
He hesitated. ''I'd like to help you. Dan, but you better srudy
with a real teacher. Besides, I've got to nm up to the: ranch and
mend some: fen ce."
"Well, I've got nothing c:lse to do; how about jf I help you
with the: fe:ncc:? M

Reyelatian and the Worrior's Way

187
MOkay. Then at least I c:;m teach you the fine art of fencing,"
he punned. ~ I'II tell MilSU we're going."
"And think about Ihe other lessons, too, okay~"
He called back to me: "I don't like 10 think 100 much about
anything.
M
mending fen ces. It WJl hard work
- digging ponhole<;, pounding the uprights, sawing and chopping.
Fuji loaned me a pair of his gloves or my hands would have: blisTered;
it reminded me of the old gymnastic days. Mitsu inviled me for a
\'q;etarian dinner of slc::lming rice:, vq;ernblcs, and tofu. Then Ihe
baby's cry Wa'S Mit.m's signal to say good night.
"You did a good job, today. Dan ," Fuji s;\id, h:mding me a fen
dollar bill- the first money I'd earned in a while.
MI can't l::Ike your money. Fuji."
KNot my money - yours. I don't work for frcc: neither do
you," he insisled, pressing it into my hand.
MWell, men, maybe I can usc il to pay you for a martial an
lesson.
WE SPENT THE REST Of THf! DAY
M
Fuji knit his brows in Ihought before answering. "I could give
you one paiming lesson, bur Ihat wouldn', make you a painter."
"Sure it would." [ said. "Just not a vuy good one."
Scralching his head as if Ihe idea pained him, Fuji said, ML.:I
me think ::Ibolll it."
"Good enough. ::Ind b'OOd nighl. "
TilE NEXT MORNINC, Fuji woke me. "Okay," he said. "I can show
you one or two Ihings." I opened my eyes 10 scc him sianding over
me. "J'II wair oUlside." he said.
Jumping out of bcd, I made a quick pit SlOp, (hen emerged
from Ihe c., bin wilh shorts on and shirt in hand.
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dere<:h05 de flIrtor

D A N MILl M AN
188
[ folluwed him 10 a
.~pot
()f
l(vel grolilld 3hu lil twc:nty fi:c!
from th e cabin, where h e Turn ed, and said,
~ h u ul J I1 '1
"Uh,
tomed
~S! :J.n d
h ere. Face
we: W:lrIlI up or somet hi ng.?" [ '1.IkcJ ,
me.~
:lCCLLS~
myo Id gym ,u$tic habits.
10
~Do n'T !len!
:t
W:Hm up in H~w;l ii," Ilc uid. wH:Jw:l ii if :l
warm-up. Besides, no W:lrm-lIl' req uired for what we do; we get
war mer
:I.~
we go. Oka),?
~Okay;
now I'm gonflll sho w yo u a ve ry good ma rti :11 arts
move ment. ~ T:lkillg:l comfo rtab le stance, he said, "Copy me." He
let bU l h :trms drop 10 his si d c.~, th en began to bend his right Hill
at the dbow, raising his hand. J did the same. Then he: extended
h is h;mu fo(wart[, toW;ltd me. I mirrored (:Ie l! mo\'cm CIII :IS precisdy
a.~
[ co uld. As I did ,h is, he reached Olll widl Iha l hand and

H:H1 ( d .~ hak in g m in<:, "How do you du," Il ~ ,~:lid , grinn ing, ~n i c<:
ro m eet you, let's he friends, okny~"
"Fllji, " I sai<l, lell ing go of his IWlld, "Quit playing around;
I ,m
'I"
S~ rl OUS ,
~M~, roo, ~
he assu red me, "This is one of my
f~lIorite
techt li{l U C,~, h '$ c illed 'm~ki n g rri <: n d~: J ~lw,I}'.~ t<:~ch it first."
"Then there's mor<:?" 1 ~)'ked , hopeful.
~Sur<:, h ut if t h<: firs t t<:c1 m iqu<: wo rks, you J on't
ned any
oth <:rs. 1 also h a\'c a m ovc called 'ha nding wa llet ro thief.'
Sometimes allu ids pait.,"
" Fuji, if
t h o~e
bu lly boy,~
In
(own ever run IIlto ille ag,.tn,
may not be ab le to slmke h :lIlds, and th.:y d on't wa n t m y wa llet;
they wan t my he<llL"
"Okay," he said, serio us this time, "1 belief show you a few
t Ili. ngs, "
~ Ki cks
~N{) and p un ches?"
th ey hlln p<:opl<:,"

R"velolion ond Ih" Worri o r', Woy

189
Gening frustrated, I asked, ~What kind of martial arusr arc
you, anyway.,"
"Pacifist kind, ~ he replied. ~You hurt other people enough
timt:l, you get tired of sed ng blood. Anyway. I can llelp you will)
sclf-d~follSr, not offense."
he proceeded to show me a series
of evasive maneuvers, twists, and turns, and ways to sh.ield myself
FOR TUB NEXT SEVERAL !lOURS,
with circular movemenu of my arms - simple. and elegant. "I
like (0 keep it simple," he said. ME.;uier (0 pracdce. M
He told me to visualize actual attRckers, larger and me:U1er
than I would ever be likely to meeL Soon, the defensive clements
took on a life of their own.
I noached into my pocl<et and offered him back his len dollars.
"No," he waved me off. "This wasn't a lesson - Ihis was play.
Brought back some good memories. Keep you r money - may
come: in handy."
"Thank rou, Fuji."
"Thank you, 100, Dan."
We shook h2nds. M$lill 01)' fiworite move, that one," he said.
"Fuji," I asked asl walked with him back to his cabin, "did a
spry old man with white hair, a friend of Mama Chia's, ever visit
around here? His name is Socrates."
fuji knit his brows, then a smile came (0 his face. MYes, I think
50 once, some years ago - shorr white hair, wearing the brighten Hawaiian shirt
I eyer so1w. Must have come from C:1Iifornia,"
he 2dded with a grin. MVer)' interesting man."
I could JUSt imagine Socrates in a Hawaiian .~hirt. I wondered
ifI would ever Stt myoId (eacher and friend again, and all at once
I missed him terribly.

Mulc r i~ 1
plolcj]ido l]Or dorCI;tros do
~utr

The Great Leap

Anything con be ochieved in
&Jt thoro arc timos',<)U need
~mo ll .
deliberate 5tcps.
~IC courago 10 toke 0 grool loop.
You can't 00:15 {] chasm in two smoil jump5.
- DovOd lloyd Georg-

Mulc r i~ 1
plolcj]ido l]Or dorCI;tros do
~utr

Odyssey
The socret
a t $UC CeH
in life:
Prepare lor oppOflunity when it comes .
- Beniomin Disroeli
As
WE NI!ARD
FUJI'S HOUSE, the Hal'S were
JUSt
coming our, ilnd
the moon w:1S nCirly full. Except for the crickets. and a soft wind. the
silent forut was asleep.
"You sure you won't stay for dinncr?M he asked. " MiL~u is
aJw:I.)'S happy to set OUt one morc platc. ~
"No. rcally. r have some things to do .~ 1 said . but the truth
was, with the baby and all, I didn't ",:ant to impose. Fuji slOpped
a.nd stared into space. He looked serious.
JUSt then. 1 had a kind of premonition nOf bad, exactly. but
unseuling.
"What is it, fuji ? Do you feel something. roor
"'Yes," he said.
"What could it " My thoughts rmurnlly drifted to M:am;1
Chiao "Mama Chiar" I said. "Do you think 193
"

19A
DAN MiLlMAN
Fuji looked :H me. "I'll drop by juSt
in
ClSC,"
''I'll go with you,'" s.,id.
"No,n he r<:plied. " It may be: nothing.'"
~I
\V'Jn[ to go."
Fllji hesitated , dun s,"Iid, "Oka)'.~ We walked quickly up the
path roward her house.
The: feeling of foreboding gmv stronger for both of us as we
drew ncar her house.
~ I t's
probably nothing, " I s:lid. trying to convince myself (hat everything was all right.
WE WERE ABOUT TO CO INSIDE
when Fuji spoiled her. slumped
againu:l me adjacent [0 the garden. She looked 50 peaceful there,
so still, with the moonlight shining on her closed eyes. Fuji rushed
to her side :md st;lT!cd to check her pulse,
In shock, I knelt slowly down next to him and moktd her
silver hair. My eyes li lled with tcars. '" wanted 10 thank you,
Mama Chi:l.~ I said. '" wanted to say good - ~
We jumped back in surprise:lS Mama Chia sat up quickly and
ydled, MCan't a woman take a nap under the slars anymore?"
Fuji and r looked at each other, delighted. "We thought )'011
- you - " J stammered.
'" w.u checking your pulse - ~ Fuji fiued no bener.
Then she realized what we had assumed. "You thought I'd
kicked the buckel. did you! Well. don't worr)', I was just prnclic.
ing. I want to get it right. We may have to rehearse every day until
you twO an stOp acting like bumbling fools.~ she said. laughing.
A delighted Fuji excused himself; dinner was waiting. But
before he left, he stopped to give me some good advice. ~Da n.
about those boys in town - "
"Yest' , asked.
"Somedmes. the best way to win a fight is to lose it."
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

Odyssey
195
~Wha t
do you mean?"
~Think about it," he s:lid, then he turned and headed home
for Mitsu's vegetarian stew.
in Manl:l Chia's living room, she and I coasted each
other's health with several glasses of sake. My synem was 50 dean
from the exercise and simple diet that the s,'lke's effect \....JS dewsmring - w
hich is to say I got even more maudlin thall usual.
With moist eyes, I swore everlasting devotion to Mama Chia, and
said good-bye to her ~ forever, JUSt in case." She paued my hand
indulgendy, smiled, and remained silent.
At some poim, I must ha\'e fallen asleep on the /loor, beCluse
that's where I found myself the next morning, my cars ringing like
the bells of Notre Dame. I w;Jmed desperately to distance myself
from my throbbing he:1d, but there was nowhere to run.
Mama Chia got up looking obnoxiously chipper and made
me one of her "special remedies - worse than death ilseiC
"Speaking of death," I said, each word sending stabbing pains
through me, "I don't think you're the one who's going to die soon
- it's me, J Cln rell- and I hope it's real soon," I added, rolling
my eyes. ~O h, J feel sick."
"StOp rolling your eyes," she suggested. "That will help. "
"Thanks. I didn't know I was rolling them."
An hour later, I felt much berter, much dearer, and widl thar
clarity came:1 new wave of concern.
"You know, YOIl really sCOIreJ me last night. I just stood there.
I felt helpless - like there W:I$ nothing I could do."
Mama Chia sat on a cushion on the floor and looked at me.
"Let's get this st miglll once and for all, Dan. Th ~re is nothing
y.ou'r~ supposed to do. If you want peace of mind , [ suggest you
r~sign as general manager of Ihe unh'erse.
THAT NIGHT,
Millc.; .ll pro'cOido pot dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

196
DAN MILLMAN
~J'm
telling you, Dan, it's homestl'Ctch for me - whau::vcr
you do or don't do. Maybe tomorrow, maybe a few mond15 - bUi
soon. I'm packed and ready
10
go," she said. putting her fcct on
the edge of the cOLlch and gazing up at the ceiling.
"Mama Chia," I confessed. ~whcn I fim came here, I belic\'ed
I needed you only to [clIme: where
[0
go ncu,"
She smiled at this.
"But
SoCr:tICS
1I0W,
I don't know what I could learn that you and
haven't already taught
nll!. "
She looked at me. "There's always more to learn; one thing
prepares you for the next."
"Th:\[ place in Asia where I'm to go ncxd"
where
YOII
met SOCr.llC5 is 111:11
She offered no (cspon:I.C,
"What is it don't you
rtllSt
me enough
to
tell me?"

"These arc all mir questions, Dan, and I understand how you
fed. But I can't simply hand )'ou
II
name and address."
"Why nOl? ~
M:una Chia took 3. breath as she considered how to respond.
"Call it the House Rules,~ she said. "Or call it a safety device, ;m
/
initiation. Only those sensitive enough. open enollsh. are meant
to find it.n
"Socrates was about as helpful 3.5 you in tetms of specifics. He
told me Ihal if I cou ldn't find my way to }'OU, I wasn't ready."
"So you understand."
~Yes. bUI that doesn't mean I like it."
MLike it or not. there's a bigger picture here," she rcmindC'd
me. "And more people arc involved than just you and me and
SOCfllles. We afe only a few interwoven threads in a larger quilt.
And there ate m}'3tcric:s I don't e~en try TO fathom: I just enjoy
them."

197
Odyuey
"Socrates onc~ gav~ me: a businc:ss card," I [Old h~r. ~It's at
hom~ for saf~k~eping. Below his name, it says. 'Paradox. Humor,
and Change.'"
Smiling, Mama Chia S,lid. ~That's life, all right. SoCrlues
always did have a way of cuning [0 the ht'3rt of dtings. Then she:
louched my arm, and said, ~So you see:, it's not a maner of
whether or not I truSt you, Dan. h's morc a m:1.ner of you trusting yourselC
"I'm not sure w1Jat you rnt'3n."
"Then trust that, too."
"Bm I remember Socrates saying you would show me the way,"
"Yes, I/JOW you the w.. y - not send )'OU a tc:legram. To find
the hidden schools, you ha\'c to discovcr the Inner Rccords. The
House Rules don't permit me to tdl you directly; I cm only train
you to SCe, to help prepare you. The map is inside. ~
"'nside? Where?H
"The hidden schools :lre often in the middle of a city, or in a
small village - maybe right neXl door [0 where you li~ - 00<
invisiblc at all. But maS[ people walk right past - too busy visiting the caves
in NepaJ and libct, searching when: they cxpect to
find holiness. Until we warriors explore the C;J.ves and shadow
places within our own minds, we see only our own refl ections and the masters so
und like fools, because: only fools arc listening.
"Now." she continued, ~is the time when the invisible
becomes visible again, and angels take wing. You arc one of these.
h has bee:n my duty, my happy duty, [0 help you along. Like
Soc...tes, I'm a cheerlc.1du [0 the soul,H she said. KWe're here to
suppa" you, not make it easy for you.
~}(", have to find the path ahe::Jd, as you found me. Alii can
do is point in the right dil"('C[ion, push you onward, and wish you
Godspeed. n
M
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

DAN MILLMAN
198
S h ~ .1311' Illy
expressIOn . "Rdax yuu r brows, D:II1. And
SlOp
n ying to fisurc everyth ing o ut. You don't h:w e to know everything
~boLiI th e OCCJ Il to swim in
it."
uDo you thin k J'm rcacly
(0
move on?"
"No, not yet. If you lett now ,. She left rhe sem enc.:
un finished , and changed (O \H SC. ~Yu u'rc alm os t there l1layuc :1 n
hour from now, or a few yea rs. I hope [() rennin here long enoug h
(Q
sec )'011 "
"M:lkc the bp," I
uYcs. SCUllS':,
:t.'l
fini ~ h cd
for her.
I've s:tid, after dll:~ fo urth fl oor, it's:tll express
C IeVil t o r. "
"I'd make tilt: lcap today, right now, jf I kn ew how," , said,
frumatcd. "I'd do anything fo r yo u: ju~ t ttll me what to do,"
~ I w i .~ h it were tlw t ~il1l pl c - to jllst tell YOII , But e],;1tlge has
to come from inside you - li ke a fl ower from its sed rush it. We do n't contro
l th e timetable.
r uu can't
~ In the meantime, just do what fed s ri gh t: deal wi th whatever

stands in front of YO li. UJC e\'crything

(0
grow, (0 uplift. T"kc e.uc
of :my unfinished busillcss on th e lower fl oo r s. F:lec your rellTs: (10
w h"lcve r you have to do to maximi ze you r health and energy.
C hannel :.Ind discipline th:1I energy; yo u h:we to m:lster yoursc:lf
b efo re you ca n go beyond th at self."
She pausc<"l . ~ [Id w ok anmher <"leer brea th hefo re sayin g, " 1've
sho wn you what yo u ncc<"l tQ kn ow. It will help you, or not,
de pe nding o n what yo u do with it."
Heavy hearted , I st:m:'!:l 1 th e fl oo r, and s:lid in a husItc(1 tonc,
a lmost to myself. ~I keep losing t~c h ers. First Socrates se nds me
awa)'. and now YOIl tell me yo u' ll bc IC<lving lioon ."
~ You
~he ~a i d.
I'"
H:\lH .
don'r ever W3.nl to ger tOo nUlchcJ ro nny one (eneher,"
"Don'r mi ~takc the w rapp ing for the gift. D o you u nder-

199
Od)'lIo)'
"I think I do," I replied. "It means I have anodu:r wild-goose
chao;e in srore - looking for $Omeone wirhoul a face in a place
with no name.~
She smiled., "When the student is reldy, rhe leacher appe;trs.~
"I've heard thaI one before," I said.
"But do you really undersmnd? Thar mtemenc really means
'When the student is ready, the teacher appears - tlltrywht"': in
the sky, in the trees, in taXicabs and banks, in Iherapists' offices
and service 5(:lIion5, in your friends and in your enemies. We're all
teachers for one another. There are teachers in every neighborhood, in every cit
y. S[;lte, and coumry - leachers for every level
of consciousness. As in every field. some ;ue more skilled 01 :lW'Jre
Ihan Glhers. Bur it doesn't mauer, Bec.1use everything is an oracle;
it's all connected; every piece mirrors the Whole, when you have
eyes to see. and ears 10 heu. This may sound abstract to you now.
bur one day - and that day may nOI be too f.u away - you will
absolutely understand it, And when you do. " she s,1id. picking up
a shiny stone. ~you'll be able 10 gaze into this stone. or examine
the veins on this le:J', or w:ltch a paper cup blowing in the ..... ind.
:lnd you'lI understand the hidden principles of the unh'erse.
After pondering this. 1 asked, ~ Is there something wrong with
human te;lchers?"
"Of course there is! Because every teacher in a human body is
going 10 have some kind of imbalance, eccentricity. or weakness,
Maybe the problems are big, and maybe: litde. Maybe it's sex or
food or power - or worse, the teacher may go and die on YOII,"
She paused here. for effect.
"Bur for most people," she continued, ~a human tC'.lcher is the
best game in town - a living example. a mirror, It's easier to
understand a human's writing or speaking than the hinguage of the
clouds or Clts or a shaft of lightning in a purplc sky.
M

200
DAN MillMAN
~Hllmans.
100. have their wisdom to share, but human teachen; come and goj once you open t
he Inner Records. ),ou sec: il all
directly. from rhe inside. and the Uni\'crsal Teacher appe:m. ~
MWhat am I do now to prepare mysdHft , asked.
M:una Chi:!. pauS(d, grew very quiet. and Sl:lred :1[ nothing.
Then she turned to me. "J've done what I em to help you prepare."
"Prepan: for whm?" I asked.
"For wh:1I's to COmt. n
"I've never liked riddles,"
"Maybe that's why Ijfe h:t.'l given you so many,n She smiled.
"How do I know I'm ready?"
"You could know by faith,n she s.1id. "Uut your fi\I111 in yourself isn't Strong
enough , So you need a challenge - a It'SI - to
mirror and prove whitt you have, or haven't, yet learned."
Mama Chia stood, and began pacing across the room, then
gazing out the window. then pacing some morc. Finally, she
Stopped. and $:lid to me, ~There is a treasure on this island - well
hidden from unprepared cycs. I want you to find it. If you do,
then you're rt':tdy to leave, and go on wilil my blessings. If not -"
She didn't complete the sentence except to say, "Meet me at sun
set, tonight, in the forest; I'll explain e\'erything (Q you dll= n. ~
Redbird landed on the windowsill outside. Watching him , I
s.1id, "I'll be thett:. Where: exactly shall we m eet?~ When I looked up.
she was gone. "Mama Chia?~ I caUed. "Mawr O,iar No answer. I
se:uched the house and OUt in back. bur I knew I wouldn't find her.
until sunset. But where? And how? That, [ sensed, W:l$ to be my
first wk.
I RESTED MOST 01' TilE AI'TRNOON - 110 telling wl1:11 I'd have
to do after the sun went down. I lay on my bcd, too excited to
sleep. A part of me kept sorting through the files of everything I'd

OdY$$ey
201
learned about the three seiVei and the seven (loors of the lower of
life; images and feelings kept floating by.
I couldn't even remember how the world looked before I met
Mama Chiao 1 wondeml how I S:tw anything at all. But visions
were one thing; real-world tests were another. What did she have
in nore?
I thought of l\1I the likely, and unlikely. places she would w.lit,
but 1 soon concluded that trying to figure it oU( would be fruitless.
Then I thought, Basic Selves arc in comact, so my Basic Self
should know where hers is. I only had to pay attention to its meso
sages through my inllli(ive sense, my gUI feelings. I could home in
on her like a Geiger counter! Now I knew how - but could r
actually do il?
I knew I'd have 10 relax my body and clear my Conscious Self
ill order to sense the mess,1ges from m)' Basic Self. So. in the late
afternoon. I found a mound of dirt a[ the edge of the forcst and
sat in meditation. Letting my breath rise and full of its own accord,
1 leI my thoughts, sens:uions, and emotions rise :md fall like waves
on [he sea. Unperturbed by the currents of the mind, I watched
them come, :md let then\ go. without clinging or anachmcnt.
Just before sunset, I rose, stretched, took a few deep bre:tths,
breathing Ollt any tension, concern, or anxiery that might interfere
- and mode 10 the center of the dearing. Stay confident. I
reminded myself. Trust the Basic Self; it knows.
First I tried to visuali7.e where she was. I relaxed, and waited
for an image. Her face appeared, but it felt like a picture I had
constructed from memory. and I couldn't really s her surround
ings. Then I listened with my inner cars for some kind of clue.
maybe even her voice. But that didn'[ work either.
As a trained :uhlete, I had devdopcd a refined kinesthctic
sense, acutely aware of my body. So J used this sense, turning

202
DAN MILLMAN
slowly in :l circle. feeling for a direction. Then my mind intervcned: She'll pr
obably be siteing right un her front porch, No,
she'll be at the frog pond. Maybe she's in the forcn ncar Joseph
and Sarah's, or Fuji and Mitsu's. Or she'll sneak into my cabin and
wait for me 10 sh'e up. Suddenly aware of what I was doing. I
threw al1 that away. Thi~ was no lime for logic or reaso n.
Feci it! rlold myself. I silently asked my Basic Self 10 tell me.
I wailed, still turning slowly. Nothing. and then, ~y(S!. In my
excitement, I had shouted OUt loud. I pointed my arm, or it
poirucd iudf - I don't know for cc:min - and felt an inner
confirmation, like gut feelings I'd had in the p:l.S[, only Slrongcr.
My Conscious Self jumped. in with all kinds of doubu: This is
silly - jW( your imagin;uion. You can't know tbis. you're making
ilup.
Isnoring my thoushu, I followed my arm, up at an angle,
to the left of the path toward the ridge. I mned walking, and
the feding remained strong. I headed. deeper into the forest. off t he
path, and stopped. r turned, feeling like a blind man, rdying on
new inner senses. She felt closer; then doubts assaulted me once
3b>:l.lIl
But the feeling w;u stronger than my doubts, and it [Old me
she was ncar. I turned once again in a circle, stopped, and walked
fOr\\f:I.rd. Right imo a nee. As I touched the tree, it S:lid in a loud
voice, "That was too easy; next time, I'll make you wear a blindfold."
"Mama Chia!" I cried, thrilled, stepping around the tree to see
her sitting there. "I did it. h worked!" I was jumping up and
down. '" didn't JmDI" where you were; I couldn't have known. But
I found you."
'Ibis proved 10 me thac there is more to this world, more 10
human beings, and more to me, than meets th~ cye. Actually
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

OdYl1lY
203
trwting my Basic Sdf, and seeing how the Conscious Sdf could
get in the way, brought all the concepts I had learned inro focus,
and into reality. ~T his is ineredibld" I said. "What a magical
world!~
With a eonsiderable but gallant effort. I helped her [0 her feet
and re;lched a.round her in a be3T hug. ~Thank you! That wa..s
rC3l1y fun. "
~Like any child, the Basic Self loves to have fun," she said.
~That's why you feel 50 much energy."
I soon a Imed, however, 2nd told her, "I'll find this treasure,
whatever it is, if tha.t's the challenge you have for me. But I don't
roily have to look 2nywhere else; you're the ue:uurc. r wanr to stay
here, with you, as long as lean."
"Dan," she said, taking me gendy by the shoulders, "this tells
me you're close to making the leap, so very close, But I'm not the
one you're here to serve. I'm just a way station. Remember me
with gratitude, if you will. But not for me - fot you - because
gratitude opens the heart." In the last pink light of ,he sunset, her
face lookcd beatific as she sm iled at me, mirroring back all thc love
I fdt for her.
"And now," she said, "the time has come for you to begin. n
She sat down once again, took her notepad and a pcn out of her
pack, and closed her eyes. As I watched her, shc juS[ sat and
breathed, waiting. Then she began to write in her trembling hand
- slowly at first. thcn fastcr. Whcn she finished. she handed the
note to me. It re;ld:
Owr rIJatrr, ulldrr Ita,
in thr form high you '/I br,
Tnut your "'milw, ill lilt Jta;
bring thr mawTl' homr to mr.
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

20'
DAN MillMAN
Ifyou find it, as you might,
YOII will ,mwl, (!try 111U/llight.
As you Sff ;t, you ,uitllm OIl~
as nbow. ,11m so br/ow.
Orlel)Ou grasp iI, YOII will bt
rtady film to mm tlu un.
I read the note a second time. "What docs it
mc:t n ?~
I asked,
looking up. She had disappeared again. ~Damn it! How do you do
th:II?" I yelled into tlie forest. Then, with a sigh, I So11 down and
wondered what to do next.
So, I was
10
go on a treasure: hunt Well, I could St:lrt ill the morning some kind of odyssey.
Ihm
made sense. But the
riddle said I would travel "day and nigh t."
there W;I..( no use sianing undll knew where
:n the riddle: again. Clearly, I was 10 go a
water. under 5e'.1 - that parI had me barned
too. Mos,! puzzling W:U dl(~ 1:1$[ part: "As

On the other hand,

I was going. I looked
number of places: over
- and in the fo rests,
you sec iI, you will know,

as above, then so below."

On an impulse, perhaps hoping for a sign or dlle. I decided [0
hike up into ,he forest to get a better perspective. A full moon was
rising in rhe east, low on the hori7.0ll, but enollgh to light my way.
Walking alone in a forest at night playing hide-anti-seek with
the moon," I sang aloud, in rime with my foolsu:ps as I hiked
rhythmica.lly up the damp, moonlit path. I felt fresh. :derr, and
alive. The forcS{ didn't really change much at nigln, hut I did.
Myste:rious and unaccustomed activity br<Jught my Basic Self [0
the 5lltfilcc. I enjoyed the excitement.
A warm glow began in my abdome:n and, like: an expanding
e:nergy, bubbled up through my chest so that I had to let out a c ry
like: a bird. "Ece:aaahh," I screeched in a high-pitched rone. I felr
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<:: l1Q$ do nulor

Odyuoy
205
like a bird. then likea mountain lion, padding silently through the
nighf. I'd never had 1\ challenge quite like this one.
As I climbed higher, a light sheen of sweat formed on my face
and chest in the warm night. And I wondel'l:d :lbom the mystery
of th.is life. This magical night seemed unreal, or nlther, as real as
a dretm. Maybe I IVIU drea ming. Maybe I fell off that surlboard
into the $e:\, pcrh:\ps I was in a delirium in another body, another
lifetime, or in my bed in O hio.
I stopped and surveyed the forest below; the dark trees wel'l:
highlighted by silver brush strokes of moonlight. No, this wasn't
a dretm; this was real sweat. and that was a real moon. and I
was rC2lly tired. Soon, it would be dawn. The ridge wa.~ JU St above
- another half hour, maybe. So I pushed all, racing the dawn to
the top.
When I made it, hrealhing hard, J found a shehered SpOl and
slept until the sun pecked over ,he rocks and touched my face. I
looked OUt over Molobi. Now what?
Soc's voice came (0 me theil, in my memory. He had been
speaking about the koan, an insolvable riddle designed to fruslr:Lte
the conscious mind. The "solution" or answer W:lS not the right
words, but the insight bell ind Ihem.
I wondered if Mama C hia's riddle was a ko:m, as well. A part
of my mind began to contemplate this question, and would
continue cOlHemplating it l11all), hours, whether I w;u awake or
asleep.
Then I dlOuglu about shape.shift ing. M:lma Chia had called
it a "dt'ep form of C'mp:ul1y." When I wa.~ a t hild , J had played
~what if" games: What if I were a tiger - what would that be
like? What if I wt're a gorilla? And in my own childlike way. I
would mimic thc:se beasts, not skillfully, but with real feeling.
Maybe: that would help me now.

206
DAN MillMAN
As that idea came' to me, I saw an albatross, flying quite low.
soaring on a thermal, siuing almost U':ltiOII:lry ill the air above me.
With a shock. I tc;\li7.ro that for a single inslanl I had become the
albatross, sc:eing through its eyes. looking down at me. With a loud
caw, dIe bird fle w, in a straigln line, as if coastinJ:; down an endltss
slide. toward anmlll::r town. And I knew the next place I would go
yes - the lown of Kuamt~kai. What a miraculous night!
Before I Slatted my descent, I survercd the tillite island,
b~uhed in moonlight. It's perfect that I came here, first, to get an
overview, I thought. I was about to leave when I noticed a femher
of the albatross ;u my feel. ( picked it up, then fdt an ancient urge
ruing inside me. I was beginning a quest - why not start with a
ceremony?
I raised the feather over my head with my left arm, and poimc:d
my right arm to the ground - connecting heaven and carrh. I felt.
and looked. like: the magician card of a tarot deck I rt'membercd.
Then, I saluted the North, the South. the East, and the West and
asked the island spiriu for assistance.
My Basic Self gave me renewed strength a.~ I headed down . as
quickly as my legs could carry me. I stop~d only once for a brief
rest. in the late morning. picking some papayas on the way. te:lring them o~n, t
ating them sloppily. with no regard for manners,
and tossing the skins to enrich the soil. I walked widl a vengeance.
with a purpose. although I had no idea yet what it .....'as. Ah. yes. I
told myself. Coing to town.
A helpful minsquall washed Ihe papaya juice from my face
and hands and chest; then the sun dried me, and the wind blowdried my hair and b
c;lrd.
I hitched a ride partway in the baek of a pickup truck with
"Molokai Ran ch~ stenciled on the side, ami I walked the rest of
the way to K.'1unakakai. 1 felt quite tbe rUg&ed moumain man
'.I"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

207
Odyucy
when I sauntered into town - straight into the arms, so to speak,
of my recent acquaintance and old nemesis, Beer Belly, atong with
his companions.
By this time, I \vasn'r tomlly grounded. 10 5:1y the least. Up
mon of the night, fueled by a fl:W papayas, I felt past tired approaching punchdrunk. As the glow of recognition slowly
filled Ueer Belly's round f.1ce and hL~ fi sts started clenching, I heard
myself say, in my best cowboy voice, ~ I hear you bushwhackers
bin' look;n' fu me. ~
This stopped their advance for the moment. "Dushwakas,"
mused Beer Belly. "Dis guy called us bll!hw;tk:t.~.
"I don' think dat's good, one of his larger friends voluntcercd.
"I don' pay you to think, their fcarless leader announced.
~ You don' pay me :1[ all." Big Fella retoned in a stroke of
genius. I noticed that the smallest of these young gentlemen Olltmatched me by s
ix inches and maybe fifty pounds.
As thei r discussion continued. Beer Belly m:allcd his original
intent and inspiration: w tum me inw poi. Usually ),ou mash up
raro root inco a white paste. but I would do fine, I believed he .surmised, as h
e stepped forward to dean my chops.
Beer Bell), swung a od I managed to draw upon enough of my
recent tr:1.iniog to dodge the blow, rolling with that punch , and the
next. and the nat. He threw punches like a major-league pitcher
- speedballs. curves. and haseline screamers. My Basic Self mllST
have learned its lessons well. f-orce comes in, get out of the: way. I
though I. ev~ding each (lunch.
I was no martial arlS tna5[er after Olle lesson. But it had been
a very good lesson. And if the truth be known. Beer Belly may
have alrtady had a few tOO Ill:lny and was not really at his best.
I had to hand it to this kid; he was persistent. Turning red in
M
M
M

DAN MILlMAN
208
hulling and pldling, he; tried to SII'31 this hippie: "'lOtI' boy,
prob'lbJ)' frolll C~li ro rllja. And he:: \\'<15 fililing. In front of his
fr ie-nds.
I c::ontinued slipping and bobb ing :ll1d weaving. starring to
f.ed like Druce Lee. [ cy(n had time to sen d a silent thanks to Fuji.
Ih~ face,
T hen I rc m cmbcrc(\ something else Fuji had taught mc:
Somc l il1lc~,
d1(: bc.~ 1 "';IY
to
win n figlll i.~ Hl lose it.
11I51:Ultl)', I turned in to this young fel low, I (dt wh:.ll h e w~s
feding. and I grew .~ad. This W;I~ his domain I hJd inv.,ded md
fighting W;I.~ o ne o f the few things h e prided himsdrin, :lIld he was
falling apart in front of the on ly friends h e had. As u$ua l, I'd only
been thin ki ng allow me. Fuji was right. An impurralll pari ufsclf..
Jefense is knowing when no t to defend the sclf.
Ilet down my gu~rd ~nd rolled with the punch :'15 Beer Bdly.
with one 1~ 5t heroic eITort. lec loose ~ right hook duc glanced olf
Ill)' cheekbollO:. It W;15 like getti ng hit wit h a n)'ing h~m. I he;lrd ;1
loud sound ~s my h o:ad snapped ro the side; I nw stars and found
m)'~df Iring
nn ~ pi le of s,M(cml trash.
Half sitting up. rubbing my head, I said, MThat \\",15 one hell
of;\ punch. You have brass knucklts, or what?~
He h"d S;lVed fa ce. I was The V;\1Hlldshc:d ~nC:1l1y. I saw his
expression change a~ he held up his fist.
~Dee"l
knuck les made of irO/I, ~ hc said.
~I-!elp
nH: up, will yo u ~" I s;\ id, re:'lc hi ng up. " leI me: buy }'O U
guys a beer."

C H APTE R 21
Sunlight Under the Sea
In Iho
500 t(}VQ$,
th e re's
011
thoro 's (] thi l $l, IholO'$ (] lovo,
eC$ to sy. all hmd like she ll$ ,
you con hold them in your palm.
- George Seferis, Book 01 cxerciseJ
H I!
1l f.S ITATf.D,
then rcached down
:III U
pulled me up. _I
C:1Il
dri nk:l tot ofbccr,n he ~ ai d with;l sl1\i le that Tcvc;I\ed two missing
Iceth. A.~ we w:tl kcd (f)W:Hd th e storc the sisu over
dll!
d our u iJ
uSpirirs" _ I rubbed my bruised cheekbone, glad for the Ten-spor
Fuji had given me:, since: 1 had atnHlst IH\ o lher cash. J tho ught 10
mysc:lf. T lli.1 is one hdl of a way tn make 1l<~W frie nds .
Bu t make new friends I did. EspccialJy wilh Beer Bdly. whose
ren l nam e was Kimu. He .~C:C: l1\cd to l;lk c a liking to me, 100. T he:
o ther guys driftw
otT after
aroun d . I-Ie even olTe red
10
my money ran out, but Kimo stayed
huy m e
O lle ,
MOh, Ihanks, Kim o, but I'm rull up -

imp ulse, ~do YOli know where I CJ II get holJ or:l

hc),," J
s~ id
n illJO:H ~" [
on
reall y
don't know where that idea c:lme from, but J was going. as the)'
,~a )',
wi lh th e flmv,
209

210
DAN MILLMAN
To my
s urpri s~,
Kimo. who hOld been smring at the bar and
sipping his beer. came alive. His checks gOI more: co[orful, and he
turned
10
me. C'Xcitcd as:t young schoolkid. " Yo u wanna 5al11 1 gm
a bo:!t, I'm Ihe best sailor in dis lown.n
To put it mildly, we were OUt of there. And half an hour later,
we were cruisi ng
slight chop.
~J
OUI
to sea on a stiff
know dis good
Sp Ot
brcc'lC,
bouncing ovcr the
for fishin', YOli like fishin'?"
This qucstion was, of course, purely rhclOriC'Jl. as iflu:'J $:lid, "You
like brt'arhin'?" - leaving little room for a negative response.
"I haven't been fi shing in years." I said diplom:uiC:llly. At. it
turned out, there was one rod, so Kimo fished. lost in his own
world, :lnd I, glad for the company, leaned over the side and gazed
beneath the surface,
'Ille cho p had calmed 10 a glassy
MlrI~lce;
Ihe w;Ller was clear
as crystal. I 5.1W schools of fish swimming below. and wondered
wh:1.[ it would ~ lik~ . ..
on my part - maybe thai was
Ihe key - I found nl)' awareness flyin g with the nsh. That's what
it w:ts - flying. To the fish, the sea is air. I fcll :-m unaccustomed
sense of aquatic mastery; with a fli ck of my tailfin, I was a rocke t.

a shooling sur. The ncxt moment, I was IOmll)' rc!axed and

gliding ...
Relaxed. but always alert. Death came from an)' direction
WITHOUT ANY CONSC IOU S EfFORT
here, :md suddenly. I 1:tW :t brger fish snap and a smaller onc Wll S
gone. The sea was a living machine of movemem and reproduction, e:tting and dc::
nh. bur in spitc of it all. great beauty, :md
p"'''.
I SNAPPED BACK AS KlMO SAID, "You know, Dan, dis boat - ,nd
dis ocean - it recl5 like m)' life."

Sunlight Und,r th, Sec

211
Sensing that he was sharing something personal, I listened
imer1tiy.
"Seem like sometime it's peaceful - like now. Udder times
dere's a storm - can't control da S[QTm - hut can ([im da ui!, tic
things down, get tru dat s[Qrlll and you're a 101 stronger - you
know?"
"Ye:lh, I know what you mean, Kimo. My life's a lot like tit:lt,
,~.
"
.
""le:lh'
"Yeah. I guess we've aU gOt our storms," I s.1.id.
He grinned at me. MYou're all right, you know? I didn't think
so, before, But I do, now."
I grinned back:lt him. ~I think you're all right, too." I really
meant it; Kimo seemed like a different {X'rson. now that I had
looked beneath the surface.
Kimo was about to say something else, [ could tell. He hesi
tated, maybe working up the nerve, then confided, "Someday,
I'm sanna finish high school. an' get a good job. Learn 10 speak
betta, like you." He waited. Somehow, my opinion meam some
thing 10 him.
"Well," 1uid, "anyone who understands the se:l as well as you
do - I think he can do :lny damn thing he sets his mind to."
I saw a glow spread across his (."1. "You really think so?"
"I really think so."
Thougll!ful. he didn't say anything for a while, so i just sat
and gued into the dear water below. TIlen, abruptly, he: pulled in
his fi shing rod and set sail. "Dere's someplace I wanna sllOw you."
Tacking. we headed somh. until we came to ;1 reef, just visible
beneath lhe water's surface.
Kimo trimmed Ihe s,1il, kicked ofT his Ihongs. and dove into
the waler like a seal. His head quickly reappeared. Clearly in his

212
DAN MillMAN
demcnt, he reached inside the boat. grabbed a diving mask. (hrew
Ille:t pair of goggles, :Ind said, "Come 011 inr
"You hct! ~ I said cmhus i a.~li C:l ll y. Swc:uy and dirty, I needed a
swim. I slipped off my shin, rid myself of my sneakers and ~ocks,
adjusted and ~[ip~d on rhe goggles, and followed him as he glided
smoothly through the water, directly o\'cr the hcaudfi,l. razoredged cor:d reef, about u:n fcct
Kimo $\v:l lll aoom twemy ya rds
Wolter, and w:litcd for me:. Not
me excflion: by the time I mehed

below d1C: surface.

morc, thell sioppexl, treading
being a very StrollS swimmer.! felt
him :lI1d stanet! treading waler

like a landlubber. I WOlS already tired. So I had my doubts when he

said, "Follow me clown."
"Wait a minmc," I said. panting. wishing I'd spent more time
doing laps at the college pool. "What's down there?"
So at home in the water himself, Kima didn't really appreciate
that I might nOl be entirely comfortable. BUI he saw my doubtful
expression and, floating on his back, ouerlike, he c:xplainl,
MOete's a cave. Nobody knows about it but me. I'm gonna show it
to you,"
"But, it's undcnY;llcr. How'rc we going 10 bre:lIhc?"
"At first you gotta hold your breath. Uut once we get tm da
nmnel, we come up in dis cave, an' derc's rtir, " he said, sharing his
discovery with growi ng cxcilcment.
Fat Ics.s enthusiastic, I asked, "How long do we have 10 hold
our br - ?" He suddenly turned boHom up and dove straiglH
down beneath the shimmering surface. "Kimo!B[ yelled ::tfter him.
"How long is the runnel ?"
r had a few .seconds to make my decision. Would I follow him,
or JUSt swim b::tck to the boat? Th:1I was .ufcr, and probably wiser.
But that little voice I'd heard many timt:'l before, uid, Go fo r it!
'.\"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

Sunlight Under th, SUI

213
"Oh, shut upr I heard myself say aloud, as I took some deep,
rapid breaths, and dove. following Kimo.
The goggles fit okay. and I w3.~ acmally more relaxed underwater thall trying to
hold myself above. And all the breathing exercises I'd done in the past, and th
e few I did daily, helped. I could
take a deep breath and hold it longer th:'ln most people, but not
necessarily while swimmin g fifteen feet down. then through a run
nd that went who knows how far.
My ears started hurtin g from the pressure. I held my nose and
blew, then stroked madly 10 catch up with Kimo, focusing all the
while on that elVe, with 'Iir. I .'I:\W him btU into:l large hole in the side
of the reef, and I followed him into the dim light.
To my dismay, the tun nel narrowed as we swam: I carefully
avoided the sharp eomi. A menml image of an eel made me look
right and left into the many dark spaces that could hold a sea creature. My lung
s told me it was time to breathe - now - but the
tunnel continued as fur as I could sec. Then, it began to narrow
even more. In a moment of panic, I realized I couldn't fUm
around. My lungs were pumping madly, but I d ampe(] my lips
together and fought on.
I saw Kimo's fect disappear, and JUSt as my mourn was about
to burst open to fccl the choking water nlsh in, I angled upward,
then ga.~pcd like a newborn in F,mt as my head emerged imo the air
of ;tTl undeJ"W:tter cavern.
My mood much iml)fOvctl, I lay panting. half submerged, on
a rock ledge.
"Some kin(b phlee, huh?" he asked.
" Uh huh," I managed to say. I{ecovering, I looked up and
around af purple, green, and blue coral, dramatically colored as if
it had been decorated by a movie set designer. Then I 'notieed
something odd: A single beam of sunlight shone Ihrough the roof

DAN MILLMAN
214
o f d,~
C:IIIC .
Bill' th e:: whole reef was underw ater! H ow co uld du:re
be:: an opening?
"You noticed da ligh t, huh? KinlO s<liJ. "Up
ing _
J e Te,
in J a cc il ~
st:c da l piece of g lass? I, covcr.~ a ll o pen ing. so da w:ltcr
don', I;OI1lC jn,~
"HoW- ., ..
'/111111- ]ap;ltlesc divers from
dt'y explo re d is (:we put dn
:I
gl ~S5
long time' ~gu, 1 think. M ay be
J erc," he pointed.
I nodded , still puzzled. "Bli t how did ,he air get in here?
"Cumes in a fe ll' limes:l year when da tide's luw. Sometimes
it leaks. I li m fou n' dis ph ec wh en I saw some: tiny bubbb
in g up!O da
co m ~
~ urra cc."
Feeling belt'cr, J Slt III" and
hidd en akave,
~a fc:
fd, the cxc:in:mcnt o f being in this
fnml the:: world. \'\fo;: grinned at cadi 0I11<;:r liko:
rwo boys in th eir sccrCl clubhouse. " Do you think anyo ne else ha$
ever been here?~ I as ked .
Kimo sh ru gged.
"JU~ do~e tWltl Jivers all'

me."
\VIe wete silent afrer th at, gelzi ng jn :lwe, feeling die energy of
this u!1<.h:rwale r c:1\'e where the su nlight strcamc(1 ill.
Kimo lay back and st ared at the cei li ng. J I:xplo red. crawling
carefully over the sh~rp coral. In this ~u b sea tide pool. ;ll g:le and
seaweed grew thick, clinging to the coral, gi \'ing the awe an eerie
green ish hue.
I wa$ IUrlling (0 crawl back. when my arm ~ li pped. It p lunged
down into a crevice ill the coral, right up to my sho ulder. I was
startin g to extract my arm when my hand closed ;uo Lilld
t hi ng maybe:l chun k of roc k. J p ulled it OU t, o pened nl)' h::md.
a nd was ;UJ1;I'/,eJ to see wh:u
~ppe:lred to
be a small statue, so
e nc:Tusted with tiny ba tn;lclcs and ;llgae it was hard
"-J.nok at
SU Ill C~
I h isl~ 1 call.;d \ 0
Killin.
[0
be sure.

SlInlight Under th . Sea

215
He came over and looked at it, as awestruck as I. "Looks like
a sr:tlue or something," he said.
"Here ,~ I said, handing it to him. [ didn't want to give it away,
but it seemed the right thing to do.
He looked at it, and dearly would have liked it, hut he had his
standards, too. ~No. You found it. You keep it. To remembe r.~
"Thanks for showing me this cave, !Gmo."
"You keep it a secret, ok:lY:"
"I'll never tdl anyone where it is," I promised, tucking the
statue IIUO my pants.
The swi m Out was challenging. but not as difficult as the way
in, because now I knew how fiu it was. and had time to rest and
rake many deep bre:l.tns (0 prepare.
Bv THE TIME WE COT BACK to shore, it was gc:ui ng dark. Kimo
insisted that I could Stay at his place. So I gOt to meet his three sisters and
four brothers, tWO of whom I'd already met with him on
the sueet, They all nodded, curious or oblivious, ;l.~ they passed
quickly through the roolll in which we sat and ulkcd. He offered
me a beer, which I accepted. and sipped slowly, and some pungent
wel he called ~Malli Mindblow," which I declined.
We talked late imo the night. and I gOt to understand the soul
of another Imman being \'ery different from me, yet the s,1me.
Before Kimo flopped OntO his unmade sleeper ~d and I
stretdlcd Out on sonle blankets on the floor, he shared something
ebe with me: He told me how he'd fdc differenc from other people
his whole life. ~ I;ke I WJ.S from anodler place or something," lIe
added, '~nd I gOt a feeling dere's something I'm supposed to do
wit' my life, only I don't know what ... " he trailc:d off.
"Maybe finisll high ~chool fir5t, " I s,1irJ. "Or s;til the se\'en
sca.~.
"

216
DAN MILLMAN
Yeah," he said, dosing his eyes. "Sail the seven seas."
AJ. I drifted o f}' 10 sleep. I dlOught back a ll ,his incredible day:
smning o ut on a mo untainto p. ending wilh Kimo and the u nderwater caye. And f
inding that barnacle-encrusted 5f3.lUe, now safe in
my pack. I'd have: to examine it morc closely the nexl chance I got,
IN TilE MORN INC , I said good bye to Kimo and I sct out alone,
back imo [he rain forests of Molok.1i . low:ud PcldHll1u Valle}'. I
had the feeling th:!! the "treasure" Mama Chia had spoken of
might be absorbed in little bits and pieces. nm all at once, bUllh:1I
they might add up [0 something. And if I JUSt stayed alert and
open, and troweled where my heart Icd. I would lind the reST(If the
treasure, whatever it was.
As I walked along the back roads, gclting shon rides with a
rancher or town person. and thcn cnlcrcd Ihc ford l, 1 Illought
about Kimo, and the olhcr people I'd met, from all walks of Hfe.
Remembering my vision in Ihe fire. I wondered :lboUi their purposc, and how we a
ll fit into the bissc:r picture. SOIllc<by I'd find
the lools (0 hdp Ihem understand. and to find tllat purpose. J
knew this, if I knew anYlhing.
in a stmnge parr of the rain foteSt , I fell
disorientw. and ~ uddcnly wc:;\ry. Not wanting 10 tmvcl in circlcs.
I decidw (0 s l~p where I was until the first light of dawn. then
conrinue. I lay dewn and fell quickly asleep. widl a vague fecling
of ill C:lSC:, as if maybe I shouldn't be Ihcrc. but it was only a very
subtlc fcding. and il w:u probably just my f.1tiguc.
In the night. I had a stf'Jnge and dark but compelling sexual
dream. A succubus - a fcmale seductress - bolh darkly dangerou.s and terribly er
ocic. camc to lo\'e me ... 10 dC:III1. She wore a
filmy bluc gown that re~ lw m:~ m y skin .
WALKING AFTER DARK
'.I"t~ri .11
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<::11O$ do nulor

Sunlight Undor tho Soo

217
I half woke up, and realized where I W1'>, but an icy feeling of
horror s ripped file (IS I felt her presence :tnd ,hell S.1W:t Wt)fIl:tIl:~
shape. blue and gauze covercd, floating, moving toward mc
through the trees. I quickly lookt-d left and right and saw th:1( I
had SlUmbled into a place of unmarked burials, and restless souls.
The hairs stood up on the back of my neck :lS my Basic Self
told me to get out of there. NO/It
As the spirit's cold, shapely form fl oated closer, I could sense
that fear and seduction were her only powers, but I had been pre
p:ued for this; I had returned from hell, and neither fear nor
seduction had the same power ovcr me. ~Yo/l'1I IIot "/lilt tilt, ~I 5aid
with authority. "I'm not here for you."
I forccd mysclf ro wake up fully, and I walkcd slowly alit of
that place. not looking back. knowing all the time that she was
following mc. close behind.
At some point. I felt her give up and fall away. but I kcpt
walking throtlgh (he rest of thc night, JUSt the same. $omcthing
else was troubling mc - a vague feeling again. like I was missing
something important. But this time the fceling clarified. likc a
word on thc tip of my tongue.
A phrase from Mama Chia's riddlc c.1mc to mind: ~A.s above,
then 50 below." Now what could that mean?
I was "abovc" in thc highlands. I \vas wbdown in thc town. I
had bccn ~bcncat h the sea." II W:l5 ;111 dlf: sam\:. As abo\'c, so
below. Different, yct thc same. Bccausc where'oer I went, I was
there! The treasure \V;lsn't in anyone of these placd; it w.u in all
of thcm. Mama Chia had alteady told me thc anS\\'er:;t "';\.~ inside
me - as close: as my own hcart.
111;S W:IS marc than an illlcllccllmi under.aanding. It hit mc
with an ovcrwhelming force. an cc.static rcalil.,1tion. For a
momcnt, I lost all :J\V;ucness of my hod)'. I coll:Jpscd on the wet
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dc.cc l1Q5 00 MID'

218
DAN MIllMAN
it':l.vcs. I had found th~ treasure, the most important sccret of all.
Energy welled up insLde me. I wanted to cry.
10
dancC'!
Bur in the next moment, ecstasy gave way to another feeling:
a sudden sense of loss. And I kn~"', without knowing how, that
Mama Chia was dying. "No!" I cried into the: trees. "No. Not yet.
Please, wait for mc!~
I got to my feet and started to run.

<
C HAPTER
22
Living Until We Die
True
o~er
Tcach(l!~ u~c Ih cm5el~e~
as. blidglu
which Ihey invi Te Iheir stud ents 10 cross;
Ihen, having focll iloled Th eir Classing. loy fully collapse.
01'l(OUI09 1n9 thorn 10 creole
bridgc$ o llheir own ,
- Nikos Kozonlzokis
I DONT KNOW HOW LONG I RAN,
climbed, scrambled, and rom
:lgain. Covered with mud. exhausted,
CUf
and bruised. then
cleansed by a heavy rain, I fin:l.lly stumbled and fell at the fool of
Mama C hia's stairs abom two hours after sunrise.
Fuji, Miuu, Joseph, and Sarah came
OUI,
and Joseph helped
me inside. Mama Chia was lying pcaccfirlly on the futon bcd,
surrounded by flowers.
My friends, supponing me at first, stepped back as I went to
her and knc:lt by the bed, my head bowed and (c:ars sll'r:Iming
down my cheeks. I rcsted my forehead on her arm, so cool. so cool.
I couldn't speak at first: stroking her facc, I said farewell, and
olTered a silent prnyu. Mitsu sat nearby, stroking Sachi, comfon:
ing her. SOCl':IIC5, in the blissful ignorance childhood, slept next
or
to his siSler.
219

220
DAN MillMAN
Joseph looked like a s:ld Don Quixote, llis eyes dark. one h:md
on Sarah's shoulder as she rocked in grief.
A stillnc,u pervaded the valley. a sadness, unbroken by tile
cries of Redbird. the 'ttpap""t. Here had p:wcd a very special
woman. Even the birds were in mourning.
JUst then. the 'rtpap/llit landed on Illl: windowsill, tilled hi s
head to ont side, and looked at Mama C h.ia. Birds have a cry of
sadnc....~. and 'we: heard illha! morning - an un:lccustomed. sound
- as Redbird flew to her side, made the call again, and flew away,
like her soul.
I walked into the moist warm air toward the cast, the rising
sun JUSt now lighting [he sky. silhouetting the hilts. Joseph walked
with me. She must have died quicd)'. in the night," he told me.
"Fllji found her only an hour :1So. Dan, we heard you were away;
how did you know?"
I gau-d up :1.[ him, and my cy~ laid him what he needed to
know,
Nodding in undemanding, Joseph lold me, ~Some lime ago,
she left me inSlrm:liolls," he said, "aoom where 10 take Tia's bab}',
and other business matteI'S, She asked to be cremated, in tile burial ground of
the kahuna.~, I'll be making the :urangemenu."
'" want 10 help with anYlhing I o n - wilh everything," I
told I,im.
"Yes, of course - if you wish. Oh, :lIlU there was this," he
revealed, holding up a piece of paper. "I think she wrOle you thi.~
last night."
We looked al the note; in Mama Cilia's $cr.awle~1 h:lIluwriling
were six words: "Among friends. Ihere are no good-byes."
I weill back inside, sat near her, and just looked at her. When
I was young, death was a stranger 10 me - a phone cali, a letter,
a piece of informatiun, a solemn 3nnouncemenr about pcople I

living Unlil We Oie

221
rarely saw. De:uh was:t visilOr 10 other homt.'s. other places. People
JUSt faded into memory.
8m this was rC:tJ. and it hurt like a r:t7.or CUt. Siuing there.
with the body of Mama Chiao Death whispered into my ears with
cold brC:tth, bringing imim:uions of my OW/l mortality.
I stroked her check. feeling an :lche in my heart th:u no metaphysical philosoph
y couid remedy. I missed her already; I felt dIe
void she left. :1.5 if a piece of my life had been taken away. And J
reflected that. ultimately. we have no comrol in this life - no
abiliry 10 StOp the waves that come crashing down. We can only
learn to surf those "'':lves, embr:tcing whatever comcs and using it
to grow. Accepring ourselVc.!l. our strengths :md weakncssc.!l. our
foolishness and our love. Accepting everything. Doing what we
can. and nowing with the "51.
It may seem strange to some people that I would be so attached
to a woman I'd only met a shon time before, but my admiration
for Mama Chia - for her goodness and COUf3ge and wisdom m:tde up for the brief t
ime of our acquainr:mce, :md made her passing all the more painful. J'erhaps I'd
known her for lifetimes. She
was o/le of my man beloved tc:lchers who had somehow httn waiting for me since m
y birth.
CiliA'S StSTER, who informed her
other relari\'cs. We let the body rest for twO days. as Mama Chia
had requeSted. Then. 011 the third morning, we prepared for the
trek up Pdekunu Valley to the saered kukui grove and the burial
site beyond. The old piekup truck became her hearse, decorated
with leis and garlands or fl owers. We drove carefully over Ihe
makeshift roads as far cast as the roads would carry us - Fuji
and I. followed by Joseph. Sarah, Mitsu, with her little boy, :md
Joseph's family. as well as VieW!, her nieces. other relatives, and a
JOSErli CONTACfI!D MAMA

living Until Wo Die

223
\"Vhen my rurn came. my mind went completely blank, 1 had
prepared somethi ng to say, but it was gone, I stared another long
moment, in silence, at thc pyre, as images flashed through my
mind - meeting Ruth Johnson on the street . then at the pany.
men as she nursed me back lO hca.lth - and then a long-forgotten
quotation ftom Matthew C;\me to me: "I was hungry and yuu fed
me: I w;u thirsty and )'OU gave me water; I was :1 stranger and you
welcomed me; naked and you clothed me; ill and you comfortl:d
nle," I spoke these woros not JU ST for me, but for all the people
gathered thert:.
Fuji came up to me, and to my surprise, h:mded me the lOrch.
"She asked in her instructions that you light the pyre, Dan, if you
we~ uill here on Molokai. She said you'd know how to give her a
good send-off." He smiled sadly.
I lifted the torch. And I understood that everything she had
shown me came to this: Live until you die.
"Good.bye, M:un.'\ Chia." I s:lid :lloud. I touched the torch to
the dry gl'3~ and sticks, and the flam es began to cr:l.ckJe and
dance, And the body of Mama Chiao co\'cred with a thousand
peT3ls of red and white 3nd pink and purple. was embraced by the
flames, and engulfed.
AJ the smoke rose to the sky. I stepped back from the hla1.ing
heat. Then, in the dying light of day. as this small group of people
C:l1.ed into the flam es, I rec:tlled how Mama Chia enjoyed quoling
sources of wisdom. and from out of nowherc, the words of George
Bernard Shaw came to me - words she herself might ha\'e said and I found myself
calling them out loudly ahovc the crnckle of
the ro:lring fire fm all to hear: "I want w be thoroughly used up
when 1 die. fur the harder I work, the more Ilille. I rejoice in life
for its own sake, Life is no 'brief candlc' to me; it is a son of splen~
did torch which I h:lllc gOt hold offor the moment, and J w:!.nt to

224
DAN MILLMAN
make it hurn as brighdY:ls possible ~
My voice quh'crcd then.
and I could spe;1k no morc.
Others spoke. as Spirit moved them. but r heard
cried. and I laughed,
:lS
nOlle
orit.
I
Mama Chia would have laughed : then
I fell to my knees and bowed my head. My heart was open, my
millli silelll.
I LOOKED
ur
SUPPIlNLY bcCOIUSC: I
heard
Mama
Chia's voice.
3.'1
loud and dear as if she wcrc standing in front of me. All the
others still had their !leads bo....-c:d. or were: smring at the fire:, and
( realized that the words resounded only in the quiet halls of my
mind. In her soft. sometimes lilting ,'oicc, M:um Chi" spoke to
me. and s:.id:
Do 1/ot Slnnd at my gmvr (l1Id u.wp.
r(1111 1l0111Jrrt; I do lIot slup.
I am It thollSlllld Ivinds Ibnt bIoI/'.
I am the diamond g',',m 011 motu.
I am the IUIIHgbr (Ill f'iptlud grain.
I alii tbe gmtle 111111111111 rotin,
Da Ilot 114111/ fit my grave al/d ~ry.
I nm /lot thtu. I did /lot dit.
When 1 heud these words, my heart broke open and my

awareness leaped 10 a pbcc 1 had never been before. I felt the n:mm:
of mortality and de:uh within the gre:lt cirde of life. Over.vhelmed,
I swooned with .a sc::Iring comp:\SSion for all living things. I fell at
once into the depths of despair and soan.'ti to the heights ofblis.sthese two fe
elings alu:rnated within me at the speed of light.
TIlen, 1 was no longer on Mo[okai, but sranding in the tiny
room [ had seen in my vision under the w3(erfitll. Acrid, pungent

Living Until W. Di.

225
smells of sewage and decay filiL-d me air, pardy masked by burning incense. I sa
w a /l Ull C'.lring for a bedridden leper. In the blink
of an eye, I became the nun, wearing heavy robes in the sweltering heat. I reach
ed out to smooth an ointment on this poor man's
bee, my h~rt completely opened 10 the love. to thc pain, to
everything. And in the leper's disfigured mee, I saw the f.1.ecs of :til
those I had ever loved.
The next moment I stood on the rue de Pigalle. watching a
gendarme help a sick. drunken man into a pol ice ambulance. Then
( became mat police officer, I smelled the drunkard's putrid breath.
A light flashed, and I saw the drunkard as a child, huddled in a corner. quaking
as his own (\ther. in a drunken rage, lashed out at
him. I ~It his pain, his fear - all of it. Looking through the gendarme's eyes.
I carried the drunkard gently to the waiting v;'m .
The next moment, I found myself gazing, as if through a mirror, at a teenage boy
in his bedroom in a wealthy suburb of Los
Angeles. He was sniffing powder up his nose. I knew his guilt. and
rq;rct, and self-hatred.. Then I felt only compassion.
Next. I w:lS in Africa, gazing at an old man, moving painfully.
trying to give a dying baby water. I cried out, and my voice
echoed in this timdess place where I stood. I cried fo r that baby,
for the old African. for the t~n age boy, fo r the drunken man, for
the nun, for the leper. That baby was my child, and these were
my people.
I wanted 50 much 10 hdp. to make things better for every sufferin g soul. but (
knew that from where I stood ( could only love,
understand, trUSt in the wisdom of the universc, do what I could ,
then let go.
A!. I sawall this. I felt an explosh'e surge of energy. and I was
a tapulted up, through my heart, in a stare of perfcc[ empathy
with exislenee itself.

226
DAN MillMAN
My body had become Imnsparent, rndiating shifting colors of
.he spectrum. Iklow, 1 fdt rtod, rising through Or.lngc, nnd yellow,
and green, changing imo gold. Then, surrounded by a radiant
blue, my inner eyes were dr::lwn up to the cemer of my fo rehead .
rising into indigo. then violct ...
B~'O nd the confines of personal identity, no longer concerned
with a physica.l body. [ OO;I.Ic::d in the pl:tcc where spirit nu.'ttS Ocsh,
from a vantllgc point high above: the: planet we call carlh. Then the
~rth
reded in the vastness, then the sol:tr system became a disappearing speck, and the galaxy. too, umi11
W2$
beyond the illusions of space and matter and time, seei ng It All: parndox. humor,
and change.
What followed goes tar beyond wOr(k I C"J Il write rh3t "I W:lS
One with the Light. ~ but such words fall like dust on the page,
beC'.1use there \\1;\5 no "I" 10 be "One" with anything, and no one
left to experience It. Trying 10 describe th is experience ha.~ challenged and f
rustmled the mystic poets for centuries. How do you
dt2w Ihe Iikeneu of a van Gogh painting wilh a stick in the mud ?
The universe had burned me to cinders, consuming me. Not
;1 tmee remained. Only Bliss. Re;11ity. Mystery.
Now I undetslood the Taoist S:lying MHe who says does not
know: he who knows does not say" - not bc:ca.use the wise don't
spc:l.k. but bccmse It CI rinO{ be spoken. Words fall as shon of It ;1.S
a rock thrown at the srars. And if these words sound nonsensiClI,
so be: it. But one day, and that day may not be far aW:lY, you, 100,
will know.
I REENTERED TtME AND SI'ACE - whirling, disoriented - as if I'd
fallen om of an airplane in the night slq, still kneeling before
Mama Chia's funeral pyre, SCt ag:tinsr the douds Ihal floal (-d past
the moon . The ground glistened from a rresh rain; I was soaking,.
'.\"t~ri .11
poo'llUklo IX" dcre<:: l1Q$ do nulor

living Until We Die

227
The rain had doused rhe Ian embers of the pyre that had consumed IIt:r. An hour
had p,lsscd in a few IIIOllle1ll5.
The mhers had gone; only Joseph remained with me. He
knelt down next 10 me and asked, ~ I-Iow arc YOIl doing. Dan1"
I couldn't speak, but 1 nodded. He gently squeC'/m the back
of my nCX"k; I could feel the loye llnd understlmding through his
fingers, He kncw I would be staying a while, so, with a last look
at the charred pyre, lie left.
I took a deep breath. smelling the wet forest, mixed with the
lingering odor of smoke. None of it seemed completely Teal anymore. as ifl .....
ere merely playing my role il\ an eternal drama, and
tbis dimension W;lS but one slIIall pr:tctiee hall in die infinite
theater of God.
Slowly :11 first, questions trickled back into my mimI , then
came in a rush, as I fdl from grace, back into the mind. into the
body. into the world. \Vhat had it all meant?
Maybe this had bf,.'(:n "the place beyond spaec and time"
Mama Chia had told me about. At Ihe timc, her words had
SOllnded abstract. empry, bcc:lUse th(."}' hold been bC)'ond my experience. Now
they were a living rcalit)'. She Iud tOld me, "In Ihat
pl:!.ce. you call meet wi th anyone YOII wish. ~ I wanted so lIluch to
go to that place llgain, juS[ 10 sec her one more time.
I stood, shaky and stiff. staring into space until darkness co\'~r~d th~ for~$C.
Then I turned and s[arted to follow [he path taken by [he
others, back Ihrough the rain fOfeS!, High above, J could just
mak~ our rhe flow of ,lie torch-lit procession.
8U[ somelhing wouldn't leI me le:l\'c. The feding was cleaT, 50
I S:II down, and w:"Iiled. I sat throltgh the nighl. occasionally nodding out, I
hen stirring again. Somet imes my eycs dosed, as if in
meditation; olheT timc~ they just opened and st:m-d.
Millc'; ,ll pro'cOido pot dC'CC I1Q5 00 MID'

22.
DAN MILLMAN
WHEN THE FIRST RAYS OF SUNLICHT CUf
through the forest
and shone upon the rt:mains of the pyre, Mama Chia appC'arcd,
tangible but trnnsluccnl. sianding in front of me. I don', know if
any of the other5 would have secn her, or whether her image only
appeared in my mind.
Bur there she stood. She raised her :I.fm and pointed [0 the
hillside nil my right. gesturing toward a thick glade of meso
~you W30t
me to go up
!hcrc?~
I asked her aloud. She only
smiled, scn:ndy. I dosed my eyes for a moment against the bright
sun. When 1 opened them, she: was gone.
From my altered - or perhaps refined - pcrcepcioll of tl!a1icy. all this scented
crnirdy normal to me. I gOt up slnwly. and
went where she directed.
Still disoriented from the: recent evcnts and rcvchltiolU, I
wound my way through the thick hushes - Clught once or twice
on sticky vines - before the foliage thinned out and a narrow
path appeared before me.

lessons of Solitude
We musl poss Inrougfl .5olUudo and difficulty, ;,oIOllon and
sile nce, to find
enchanted place where we con donce Ollr
clumsy donco cnd sing our sorrow ful sOrIg. Bul III That donce,
Ih al
and in Ihol song. th e mos t ancient riles o f our conscience fulliJl
themselves in Iho awarenoss of being human .
- Pablo Neruclo, Toword the Splendid City
THE PATH LED TO A TINY HUT,
about eight feet on each side.
I
entered and surveyed Ihc darkened. interior. Only a few rays of sun.
shine penetrated the thatched roof and log W;lI!S . As my eyes
adjusted to the dim light. I saw, coming down Ih rough the ceiling,
a long. hollow piece ofb:unboo that carried raimvatcr, gathered on
the roof. into a large wooden tub sitting in onc cornet. In the opposite: corner
of this spart:l.n room, I could make out a hole in me:
ground that served as a toilet and a ncarby bucket for flushin g. The
eanhen floor had a bed of thick leaves 10 one side for sleeping.
From the design of the hut. I assumed that if served as a place
of isolation and retreat. I decided to stay here until I received a
clear sign ilbout what to do next.
I shut the thatched door behind me. Weary. I lay down and
dosed my eyes.
229

230
DAN MIllMAN
Almost immediately, I sensed
:t
nearby presence, :md sat up.
Mama Chia sat in from of mc:, her legs crossed. as if in mcditalion
- but her eyes were open, and bright. 1~cnscd Ih:1I she w:ultcd (0
communicate: something, 50 I wahcd in silence. nO[ wanting
[0
disturb this tenuous apparition.
She gcsmrcd with a sweep of her arm. :lmll heard her say as
her image began to nicker and fade. ~Everything: is a dream within
a dream."
~I
don't understand, M::ama Chiao What docs it mean?"
~We
make our own meaning," she said as her image dissolved.
~Wait! Don't go!~ I cried out. I wanted to touch her face, to
embrace het: bur I knew that rhi.~ W1~ neither appropriate nor
possible.
In the darkness, I heard her final words, echoing from r.u
away. "It's all right. Dan. Everything will be all right., .. ~ Then
silence.
I could fed it ill my bones. What would I do
now ~ As soon as , askt'd tht' qut'stion, the .lnswer appcarM: Tht're
was nothing 10 do, except Slay put and wait for clarity.
Surveying the narrow confines of my quarters, I lOok stock of
my situation: I had 110 food, but I had dealt wilh rhat before. My
Basic Sdf was no longer afraid of not cating, and the wooden tub
comaintd plenty of Woller.
After a few lumbering Stretches, I sat and closed my eyes.
Soon, bilS and pieces of memories, sights, and sounds replaYf..><l
themselves in my mind, as I relived my entire adventure here in a
random momage of fleecing images and emotions.
I CC'Clllcd that Mama Chia had once told me, ~Outcr tr.t\c! at
bat only renccts the inner journey, and at worst 5ubstilUle5 for it.
nie world )'OU perceivc only provides symbols for what you seck.
Sill!
WAS GONI! -

231
LoeJlon$ or Solitudo
Th~ sa~f(~J jU llrn ~y
is insid~ you: [,~for~ YOll C!1tl fmd what you're
looking for in dIe world, you h~ve
[0
find it withilJ. Otherwise:, a
m:ule:r m3Y greet yo u , b ut you'll walk righ t pol$[ without hea ring.
M\'Vh,n you
lcJrJl
inner tr~vd through Ih, p~)', hi c sp~Ccs of
the world , )'Our consciousness will never ag-.tin be limited b), space,
or time, or the confine5 of the physical hod y."
Al though I h;I,1 b eard this before, o nl y now di d I ullderst;uni
iI, Before [ cou ld co n tinue my journey in the world, [ h~d to jo urney wi thi
n Illy p.~}'chc. Would I he ~hle 10 accompli~h Ihi~? Co uld
Ill)'
aW:l reness go so J eep wit hin du t it contacted the g:ne w:ly
beyond
111)' phpi t~ 1 sense.~?
I co nside red this
jnt~n$d}', lhat night and the following dar
h:ld found Malll~ C hi;!. in the fore,\(. [ kn ew that
I
I had hidd en
c;apa,ilits, ;u we all d o. Bu t where we:re Ihc)'? What did Ihe:y look
lil((, an d fed like?
Socrates had once hinted th:\I there was "more to imagin:uio n
than meets the eye." He said it was the
:1 first
step. AJ il
~xpa lld s,"
~hridgc III
ebirvo),ant sight

he :Idded, " it becomes somel hin g

else. Sapli ngs gro w into uees, hut illl :l gin~t ion is like Ihe: C!\lerpillar
once sct free of the cocoon, it flics."
I would begin
dH~re.
I closed Illy e)'es ;iIId leI
i11lilge~ fl oa[ by:
ku kui trees ~nd Kimo's underwate r c:tve, t h e pa lm outside Mama
C bi:!'s bouse, an d the th i, k, twiMi ng trunk
Ill }'
dausiller.
Hully.
of th e h~ny:lI1. Then
a p p~:I r~d siuing in Iler room on the floor.
playing 'JuiCily. [ fdr a bittersweet sadnc....~ at the brmas of this
life, :lnd I sell I " mt'.~~;lge (If love frolll my he~rt 10 her~, hoping
Ihat, in some wa)', sh e would reee ive it. I sent Linda my blessings.
as well.
;1.11\110:1
go.
I SP ENT nTE 1l""RE
NIGHT
in vivid d realll ~ n or .~ urp ri s in g.
t:onsider ing reeo:tH c;vo:n ts. 1 visited oth<:r pbees, w\lrld~, ~ nd

232
DA.N MillMAN
dimensions of color. clarity, and feeling that filled me with awe.
Bur, of course - or so J thought - it was juS[ a drC:IIl\ ....
As one: day followed the ncxt. day and night ceased [0 have
much distinction for
nlC;
the dim light of day o nly gave way 10 the
darkness of night.
THE MORNINC 01' THE! PlfTH DAY,
as well as J could tr;\ck time,
brought a deep ~nsc oflightness and peace. My hunger pangs had
vanished. As I did a few yoga POStures, the walls of the hut Clugbt
my eye as specks of sunlight penetr:HcJ the darkncss like stars ill a
night sky. I used the specks oflighl on the wall as a meditation, As
I breathed slowly. deeply, the mrs began [0 fade, until I saw oilly
my "lind. projected against the d;ukncss like a m~gi c lamcrn
show, a carousel of imagery and sound Ih3t played on and on, I
spent rhe cmire day gazing althe wall . Boredom ceased to exist as
my awareness tuned into finer, subtler energies. When you don't
h:l.Ve 'IV. I rdkocted at one point. you find other things to do.
TIIC days passed one like thc next , yet never the same, I
stretched, breathed. and watched the show. Rays of sunlight. then
moonlight. swept slowly across the din floor like a pendululII uf
light. lime pmcd softly, wilh infinite slowness as I adjusted 10 th e
subtle rhythms and flo:tted on an ocean of silence, disturbed only
occasionally by the flotsam and jets:ull of my mind.
At one point. something shined; it was as if, in the face of my
persistent aw:trcness, a barrier fell 3way and :J door opened. I
understood how the Basic Self and Conscious Self, working
together, provided the keys [0 motivation, discipii"nc, healing,
visu31i:eacion, intuition, le3rning, courage, and power. In a fe>....
moments, I felt as ifIa digested an encyclopedia of metaphysics .
Howc:ver, like the sorcerer's apprentice. I didn't know how to
fUrn it off. Images flood ed my mind until it went iOlo o\erload.
'.\"t~ri ,,1
p'o'llUklo IX" dcre<:: l1Q$ do nulor

lou o n, o r Solitudo
233
My lungs began pumping like bellows. deeper. f.urer - rhe energy
building until I thO\Lght I wonld burst.
My F.lce slarted to lighten: I fdt my lips curl back and, to my
surprise. I growled like a wolf. Then my hands spontanC'Olisly
moved into nllldr.u. or postures. like Ihose [ had seen in Indb.
In the nexi moment, my mind stopped, and I found myselfin
the forest, face to face widl the three selves: the childlike B3.Sic
Sdf, Ihe robot/ike Conscious Self. and the Higher Self, a being of
radiant colo1'$ - swirling pink. indigo, deep violet hues. This
being of light reached out wilh open arms to the other . . 0.
Then the three selves merged.
r saw before me my own body - naked. except for a pair of
shorts, illuminated by the pale m OOIl, standing willi arms spread
wide . A reddish glow shone from the belly regio n, Ihe he:ld W3.S a
ball of light. and above the head iridescent colors swirled reminding me of my v
ision on Ihe beach so many wceks hefore.
This dme. I entered the physical body that Siood before me. I
elllered it fully. feeli ng Ihe un i!), ofi rs form. I felt the power of my
navel, the purity of awareness iltulTlinaling the mind, and the
inspiring c:llllo a5ccnd up inf O Spirit.
My long preparation had broughl complet ion ; the three scl\'e5
had become one. There were no inner b:lttles, no resiSlance within
or witham, so that my :m ernion reued n:lIurnlly and spontan(otlsly in the heart
. Wharever IhouglHS or images arose were dissolved Ihere. in feeling and su rren
der. I became a poim of
aw.m:ness within the domain of Ihe hearr, ri5i ng up toward the
crown of my llc:ld, to a point above:: lm!l behind fhe brows.
I felt Ihe healing. loving light of Ihe Higher Self surround me.
embrace me, pcl'Y.lding every cdl and tissue down to the atomic
SlrlLcttLre, I heard its c IIl, and felt a bridge of lighT mClching from
th:lt point of 3\V:lreness fl1 at I am to the Higher Self, standing

234
DAN MILLMAN
above and behind me. I fdt irs strength, its wisdom, jrs Icndcrnc....~,
its courage, its compassion, its mercy. I became aware of its connection to past
and fUUlre, ill the eternal I'resenl.
h called 3g:1in. and I felt myself as that point ofli gln. moving
up the bridge, into the consciousncu of my Higher Self. I moved
within that (o ml of liCht. watching ovcr my physical form, below.
My awareness and that of my Higher Self began 10 inlcrpenetr.u c
one another. I took in all of its qU31itics of serenity. mengrh. wis,
da m. and compassion.
I now knew what it knew. felt what it fclt. as ecstatic waves of
unbounded love flooded through me. I saw how angelic cncrgies
had crafred rhe body. and I undernood the full opportunit)' Ih:lt
physical embodiment represems.
JUSt then. I hec.1mc aware: of other beings of light around my
physical form . Waves of happines.s washed through me as I real.
iz.ed I had known these beings since childhood, but had somehow
ignored their presence. Some were fellow students. others were
fu miliar im:lges from forgotten d~am s - angdic energies, heal
ers, S\Lides, and teachers - my spiritual fumil}'. I felt their 10\'(:,
and knew I would never agai n feel alone.
An angd of destiny stepped forward then, and raised its hands
to offe:r symbols 10 guide me:. I eouldn'l see: ils gifls until Ihe
h:lIIds of light came: fOrw.:lrd, into my vision, and opened. First I
saw a bolt of lightning, then a heart. T hen a golden cagle:
appeared, holding a laurel wreath in its talons. I recognized these
as symbols of coumge and love, the signs of the peaceful warrior.
Then, as iL~ final gift, the angd rCVC::IIc:d the: shining image of:1
samurai 'warrior, his sword at his side - not standing, but knc:cling
in a medit:uive posture. Though I couldn't sec his eyes, I felt they
were open, ami shining. Then the im:lge r."Ulnl. I th:lIlked the angel
of destiny for these gifts, and it, tOO, stepped back and dissolved.

LeHons 01 Solitude
235
From this place within the Higher Self consciousness, I km~w
that angc:ls of wisdom, healing, and e!:irily :Ire: alw;\ys aV'.Ii1able. I
could look to the furure, or paST, and send love to anyone in the
universe. And from this pl:tce, I could extend my vision efronlessly, beyond the
physiClI body. and soar like an e:lgle.
With this revelation, I feb a pull back to my physical form; I
felt my awareness ride down the bridge of light into the center of
my forehead, :md once ag:tin I became aware of the sounds of my
nervous system, and of the beating of my hean.
Refreshed and at peace, I opened my physical qes. feeling a
rising wave of energy and bliss. In this state of deep reverie. I
scratchtd a message on the floor~
Th,rr is no wily 10/fllct,'
P'lIct ;s thr \%)1
Thnr is 110 wily to hllpp;,ms;
Hllppinns is rI" \\'10)1
TiJ,rr is 1/0 1IIi1] /0 low;
I.ollt is I/), I~I)\
IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED, even In rdatively normal consciousness. I started see
ing dear images of places outside the hut.
and in the world. My "imagination" could now take me further
than I'd ever dreamed - to any world, any reality; the physical
realm was only home base, the grounding place.
The: universe had become my playground - fi lled with an
infinite number of dimensions. times. spaces. I could be! a knight
in medieval Europe or a space adventurer in the fifty-eighth
dimension; I could visit other worlds. or spend time wit hin the
molecules of a copper penn)" because the: awareness ,hat w e: arc
can never be limited by time or space.

23.
DAN MIllMAN
After this, I traveled every day - flying through the forcst. or
around the world. J visited my little daughter every day and saw
her playing with new toys, or reading. or sleeping. No longcr
lim~
ired to Ihe physical body. I now perceived it :IS only one of my
domains. I coutd nCVer :lipin feel imprisoned by any walls, or by
fl esh and bones.
And I rcmcmbcn:d what Mama Chia had told me: "You C.,"
.~peak of 'my body,' h CClUSC YOIl are nor rhe body. You COlli also
refer to 'my mind: 'my selves,' 'my soul,' because you arc: not these
thlngs. You m:mife'lt a.~ pure Awareness ch:u shines through the
human body. yet itself rem::ains untouched and eternal.
"Awareness diffr:lclS through the prism of the soul to become
three forms of light the three selves each with a different
kind of :!.w:ucncss uniquely suited to its purpose. runction. and
responsibilities.
M
The Basic Self arcs ror and protects the physical body in
cooperation widl the other selves, providing support and balance.
A foundation and vehicle fOf the soul's journey in the world , it
connects the Conscious :\nd Higher Sd\'es to the eanh like th e
roots of a tree.
"The Conscious ScM guides, informs. interprets for, and
sometimes reassures the Basic Sdf, as a parc:nt would ;1child, cdu
eating it lO best serve this embodiment. But this parent must cui
tivate loving ears to he:Jf that child, respecting that child 's
individual spirit and growing aW'.!reness. Parenthood is a sacred
training ground.
"The Higher Self radiates love, remindi ng, inspiring. and
rekindling the spark of light within the Conscious Sdf. drawins if
up into Spirk It accepts the process of the Conscious Self. and
waits, eternally p:Hic:nr and undecs[:l.Jlding.

237
LoeJlon$ or Solitudo
MEaeh of the th ree sc:lves is here
H)
as.~ i st
the others. irll egrJt~
ing, forming:1 whole, gre:llet than the: Slun of its p:ltIs."
TIlt;N ,\ MYSTtCAL VISION pl~y(d il~df Ollt in my mind. shedding
light on her words: 1 saw a monk hiking through the foothills of 3
moulltain range in late :lUtlllllll. Muilic(llured leaves - red,
or:Hlge, yellow, green ~ llOwercd
down from the branchcs, W;I\'~
ing in th e: chill win d. Shi,e:ring. th e: monk fOllnd ~ c~ve: ~nd went
inside, seeking dleher from the dellletHs.
Inside the elve, the monk found a large bc!!r. The}' loolled each
other ol'cr; fo r a fcw tc:n~c rnnmc nt.~, th e: monk didn't know whether
he: would lea\'e th e
CllVe: ~JjVe,
As the b e~ r slowly approached him ,
the monk spoke, "Let us Ildp each other, Brother Be~r, If YOll let me
live in this cave wit h you, and if you gather wood for the fire. I will
b~kc brcad for you cvcry day." Thc bear agreed. and the), became
friends the man always warm, the hear always feJ,
The bear represmte:d the B;1Sie Seir, and the: monk, the:
Conscious Self. The fire:, the hre,ld, :\IId the: sheltering eJ\'e itself
were :111 blessings of the Higher Self, Ench :lspeCI served the others.
AI'l'IlR MAN V DAVS
01'
INNER TItAVIlL, rCl utlling from rar journcy,~,
I '~me b~d; to e~rth and into my human form, Then I re 111 e m ~
hered the finnl Sirl gi\'cn 10 111e by the ~ngcl of ~lc:.~t ill r. Before
going 10 sl<:ep, I :Iske(lm), B~sic Self 10 rev<:~ lt o me wh:lt this gift
might mean, and to
~o;[IOW
In the morn ing. I
h~d

me in a
my
\\'~y
~nslVer:
I might
I
Wl,~
under,~ta rl d.
told to
e)(~lIIine
dIe
object I'd found in tile underwater e~ve. All those loose ends c~me
together, and I knew it was time to le:lI'e the hut.
I slepped outsir.!t: 31111 squinted ~S:J. flood of sunlight nUllg my
eyes :l1ld poured throllgh me. ! smelled the fore,~t aflC r a fre,lh r~i l l,
I h;1\1 heell ill ~n l ituJe to r f\VI: ntr-nne (lays.

DAN MILLMAN
238
W~ak
from lack of [Md, I w:llkeJ slowly thro ugh th e hil ls,
feding as if I weren't qu ite: m ade o f fl esh and bones - li ke :I n ewbo rn,
fres h o ut o f my thatched womb. \Vilh a deep breath, I
su rvcyed the siglHS and sOllnds of a new world .
I knew that the peace and bliss I now cxpcrknccd would pa5S.
Once r returned to the cycrp l;\}' world, thoughts wo uld re t urn,
but th:n was all right. J accepted my hu man condition. J wo uld,
like Mama Chiao live lill til I dic(1. Bill for now, , b,uhed happily
ill tbe callasy of conscious rebirth .
I passed a p"paya n ee JUSt as one o f th e fruits fd l. I caught it,
smiled,
311d
th anked Spirit for all o f its bless ings, l:trgc and sUlal1.
C hewing slowly, I inhaled the sweer aroma,
T hen I noticell
:1 ti ll)'
sprout nea rby. rising through t he: re:d
earrh. push ing upwa rd . toward t ht su n. Within the seed of this
tiny spro ut b ), the: m:u ure: tree ,Ind all the bws of l1;uure. As th,H
seed evolved. so would we all; Basic SeI\'CS evo lving inlo Conscious
Selvt's. expandi ng and refini ng their aW;lreness; Consciolls Selves
rising th rough the heart to become Higher Seh'c:s by surrendering
to
th e laws of Spi ri t; all d Higher Selves evolvi ng back into the very
LiglH of Spiri t.
An d ench lifts and gu ides that wh ich i ~ below; each suppo rts
t ha t which is ~ hove.
If ::t liny sprout co uld revcal this to
I11 C,
would the sky somcIhy rcvea l iTS own stcr e ts ~ Ami wh:\t co uld t he stonts tel l me, or
the trets wh i s ptr~ Would IIc:3fll ,ht way of tbe fl owing stream. ,he
:l llcien' wisdom of til c:
1110 un rai n s~
T ha t was still to be disco\'ered.
Wilar did it nil add up to? I remtmhered a story about

Ald oll~
Huxley. In Il is I,,[tr yea rs, a fr iend llnce as ked him,
" Professo r Huxlc:y, afrer all yo ur s piri tu al studi es and prac tice,
w hal have yo u lea m ed ?"

Loe Jlo n$ o r Soli tud o

239
His ere.~ still sllining. he answered. "1 e m ~ ullln1 :t ri "l.e all I've
klrn ... d in six words: Tr y to b .... . . ;t lit !le kinde r."
Little things make a b ig d ifference. I th ought. And I bre~l h ed
a sigh of co mp ~5s i o n fo r those people. stuck in tile detai ls of life,
who had . like me, lost sight of the bigger picture. the libeming
uUlh at th ... cor ... of ou r lives.
Then I r... memhered M am,l C hi,l's ~n a l wo rds: " Ir 's all risht,
O,ln. Everything will be all riSht. ~
My heart opened, and te;\ls of Il apr in e.s.~ flowed, but also tears
o f .mno w for th ose who still [el."l ala Ill', Cll t off, ill th eir OWIl
IlUl S
of solilllde. The n , in
J
rising wave, 1 laughed with joy,
heca use I kn ew wit h absulUle ce rtain I)' that thC}'. 11)0, would b e
able to red the love and support of Spirit o pen thl." eyes of tlll." ir hl.";\r
t.
if o nly they wo uld

EPI L OG UE
There Are No Good-byes
1 hfl l6 (lIe no mo p ~ ; no mOle Cl fl ltd ) or ph ; l o~op hi fll .
From here on in. rhe d lr!lclions co me 5110;911 1 110m the UnivlIlHt,
- Ahharo Noor
As
SOON AS
I
RETURN ED TO MV CA HIN,
I rcached into my pack
and took o ut the cncrusted object from Ki mo's (:love:. [ spent
se\'eral ho urs clc:min g it , ca refull y scra ping widl my Swi.~s Arm y
kn ife:. After numerous washings and scrubbi ngs, I began 10 make:
II UI , with gl'Uwing IIIH.l c rs t~ nJ in g and awe, tb e s h ~ rc of ~ .~~ Ill
llr:li
war ri or, knc:ding in m edita tion journey 10
n:vcaling. the
!l e XI
step on my
Japan, or som ewhere in Asia, w here I wo uld find dre
master o f rh e hidden school.
'1iIAT N IGHT,
I dn:amcd of an elderly
01:111 ,
an A5i:lll .
h i~
(ace "ad
a nd wise. Som ethin g w eighed h c~\' il )' on his hca rr. Behind him ,
;1.cro b:u s so mers;\ ulted thro ugh the air. And I kn ell' I wuu lJ
him not o nly t o re o:::eive, bUI 10 serve,
2'0
~nd

241
There Are Ne Geed byel
SAID QUl~.T FAREWELLS,
I
wilhollt ee rc:n lO IlY,
friend s who h:ld become ~ u de:lr
10 Ill e to
10
e:leh of lh e
Joseph :lIId 5:lt:lh,
l()
S:lchi Jild [jll le SoerJ tc,l, to Fuji Jnd MitSIl with their haby, :1nd
fO
M'lno;l, Tin, and rhc oth ers I'd co mc to kn ow ~Ild cn rc "bo u t
d eeply.
Joseph h;u[ told me the loc:,uion of a slIIall hOat M ~ llIa Chi ~ had
lefl fur me. :1Jl\:hufed in :1 shallow ~"U v e It illden hy tree; :11 Klbu p.1pa
,
Ihe leper colony. T hi~ time. I brought sufficient provisio ns
me home. On a
W:lr/ Il
o ut o f the sea, I
10
take
morn ing in Ntll'cmher, with th e SUII ri ~ in g
tossed my p:lck under t he seat, slid
Ihc b oat down di e s:\Ild in to th e shallow 511ff, nnd climbed in . A
breeze cltlglu th e sail.
O ut past th e sur f, on th e gentle rise and lall of th e sea, 1
loo ked h:lek to see r:. in sHe,lking Ihe cliffs wi t h rn yr ind c:I sc~d e~,
some exploding inw wind-whip ped mist :1[1(\ rninb ows b cfllrc Ihey
re:1Ched rh e sea.
A larger rainbow, glo rio us in ils colors, fo rmed :lIld stretched
rhe length of the island

:IS
it arched across th e sky. Then, guin g
ollce more loward shore, just for
:1 111 0 1111: 111,
I saw the lim pin g
fi gure of a la rge. round ed wo m~n emergi n g fro m the c Url ~ in o f
Ifces th rough the mist. Her h ~ nd r~ i s cJ in farewell , then she was
go ne.
i
TURNEO FORWARU ,
mto the wi nd. tacking acro~s the e h:tnnd
toward Oahu.
On
Ih~t
litde isblld or M {) l o k~i. g Lli<ied by ~n unexpected
leacher, I had seen th ~ invisible wo rld, the Jarger view o f li fe, wit h
eres t!t nt see no duality no ~ m e" and "others," no separate self.
no liglll or shadow, n odlin g wilhin o r widlOUI nOI m ~ Jc of Spiri{
and tim vision wOllld iIlLlmin ~ {e 311 the days ur my life.

DAN MILLMAN
242
[ kilt\\' . he: lIisiuns and c:xperict\ces would !!ulc:, and Ih e rest~
less feding would continu e,
b eellU st' Ill )'
journ ey W~ S Il't
0\'( 1' n or yct. I wo uld return home [0 sec my daughler, clear up
unfinished business. and pu{my affairs in order, just in case. Then
J wo uld find the 5d1001 in Japan. and dis!;o\'er
~nothc r
part of
Socrates' and M a m ~ C hia's pas t - and my own (uture. Throwing
Illy life 10 111(: winds, 1 wou ld follow, once: ~ g;lin , wll crc Spiril
Icads,
Till!
( S LAN!) lI11GAN 1'0 I'ADE,
th en di5:tppC:1I' under the cover of
dou ds. A gun of wind filled Ihe: sail , :lnd a
SW e<!'t
fragran ce per
fum ed th e air. 1 looked up. gazin g with wund er, as n t)Wer petals of
evcr y co lor rail1 cd \lown (ro lll the sky. Awc~ trll c k. [ shu t m)' eyes.
When I opened them again, the petals h;1, d vanished. Had this
shower reall)' h;lppcmd 1 D id it n];lncr~
Smilin g. I guzed out
10 SC;I.
Ab out a hundred y;mls aw ~ }'.
:1
great h umpback wh3 1e. rarely seen th is time of year, breached rhe
~ u rr~ ce nnd ~ lapp ed Ihe water wilh il~ magnifi ,cnt I;\il , sI:Il din g:\
wave to greet me. pushing me onwa rd. se nding me sllrfing. like the
:tncient Hawaiian kings. toward h ome. And I knew that. like
this small bo al, Spirit would carry me, a$ it carries
o rab ly. toward th e Light.

lI $
all, inex-

244
DAN MillMAN
and ~xperienced. in one form or anomer, elements similar to those
described in Ihis book. But in contrast to what J implied in earlier
editions of this book, I never left my family for years in order to
Mt'lnd myself." In fact. I traveled only through the summer, But
those three months changed the course of my life.
On the first leg of my journey, I participated in a forry day
imensive training created by a Bolivian master, exploring a unique
array of practices, including meditation techniques, relaxation,
breath work, concenlration, and tools of self-observation. This
experience contributed [ 0 an expanded :l~~nes.s, a more relaxed
and energized body, and a greater openness to the Divine Spirit
that pervades self and world,
All of that occurred more than thirty years ago. Things
change; everything has itS time. I've since set aside esoteric
methodologies to simply live in dircct relationship with life as it
unfolds, moment to moment. Daily life has become my spirirual
pr:lcrice, :lnd this moment has become my life.
Each of us, particularly those of us involved in the arena of
personal and spiritual growth, are shaped by our own specific
lineage of memors and life experience. In my case, each new
50urce opened a floodgate of information. insight, and practice
that gener:ued, in rurn, a new phase of my tc:lching work. After
learning the way of the Hawaiian kahunas. I intended to write a
sixtypage booklet entitled ~Awake nin g the Three Selves." But
then I thought: Why not use Molokai as the seuing of a story?
Thus. Sacr~d journry was born, and a new teacher. Mama Chiao
came into being.
While the ch:uo3cter of Socrates is based upon :l wise old
mechanic I met in a service station dee:tdes :lgo, Mama Chia is
modeled after a gifted intuitive named Bella Karish - about
ninety years old at the time of this writing - who has for yeus
Malcroal pro\.'Ooo par dcrochos de aUIO

Aflor ..... ord

245
provided WThr~ Sclv~ Readings" for cOL1nd~s people. I wroee
Sacrrd ioum? to convey a dear understanding of the three selves,
and to describe. in a fresh way. that ascending scale of human
awareness and evolution known in Chinese and Hindu traditions
as the chakras.
Since 1990. after the first edi(ion of Sm:rrd iOUnI? was published, whenever I w
as exposed (0 unique models, methods, or
other illumined perspectives, I would, as Socrates had advised,
integr:ate che macedal into my own life until I had sufficient clarity [0 write
about it. My books No Ordinary Mommtr. Th~ Lifo
11m W7rr Bom to Liv~. Th~ Laws o/Spirit, and those that followed
reflect these successive waves of insight and information.
Bur :lfler ~l the methods, models, theoda, and esoteric
"secrets" :lre rcve:lled, one etern:lllll~ of reality remains: The qu:tlity of o
ur lives is shaped by wh:lt we do, moment to moment by e:lch choice we make 2nd
ClI.ch action we rake. Will we choose
the: m:lin highwa)'i or che: back roads of life:? Will we travc:l the:
mounL1in paths or seek the foteS( wilderness! Will we contract or
expand, struggle with or embrace life unfolding? Each of w must
answer such questions for ourselves and make our own choices on
this sacred journey. as the winding path appears beneath our feet.
My next book in the P~ac~1 warrior saga will be a major
novel abou( the life of Socrates - how the peaceful warrior found
his way. And as the Yc:lrs unfold, I intend to write more stories
that reflcc( che criumphs and he;ucbreaks that remind us of our
common humanity. our courage, our spirit.
Dan Millman
Spring 20(14
Malcroal pro\.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

Acknowledgments
I WROTE THIS STORY IN SOLITUDE, yet any book is;J collaborative
v~nture, completed with the SUppOH of editor. designer, typesetter, research ass
istants, initial manwcript readers who provided
feedback. and former teachers on whose sho ulders J stand.
My deep apprttiation to the following people who contributed, directly or indirectly, to this manuscript: Michael
Bookbinder, editor Nancy Grimley Carleton. research assistant
Sandra Knell. Hawaiian historian Richard Marks. Special thanks to
my friends and publishers Hal and linda Kramer for their cncour;tgc:mcnt :and cm
husiasm. and for this nrn' edition, my appreciation also to Munro Magruder, Jaso
n Gardner. Mary Ann Culer,
Kristen Cashm:m, Michael Ashby. Monique Muhlenkamp, Cathey
Flickinger, Ton;a Pearce Myers. and me tom :1[ New World Library.
As always. love and gratitude to my wife. Joy, who for three
dectdcs has illuminated my life.
,
246
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

About the Author

DAN MILLMAN'S BOO1(5
have inspired millions of re:iders in
twenty-nine languages worldwide.
A graduate of the University of California at Bcrkdey. he is a
former world trampoline champion, Stanford gymnastics coach,
and Oberlin College professor. In '994, he was inducted into the
USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
Ye:trs ago, D:ln traveled around rhe world, practicing various
forms of yoga, martial arts, and olher methods of personal and
spiritual growth. He studied with an unusual array of reachers.
Over time. he began to write and spe:lJc :loom ways to cultivate a
peaceful heart with a warrior's spitil, using the challenges of daily
life as a means of personal evolution and global transformation.
For two decades he has spoken [0 groups small and large.
across America and around the world. His talks and trainings
248
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

,..
About th. Author
continue (0 inf1u~nce laders in business. health. psychology. cd.u
Galion, polilies, sports, and the arts. His practical :approach to
living has helped countless m~n and women [0 clarify and ener
gir.c their personal and profcs5ionallivcs.
Dan continues to tcach across gener.ations to redefine the
meaning of success and demonSlrate how to live a meaningfullif~
in the m:uerial world.
For further information about Dan Millman's books and
seminars, or [0 schedule him for a presentation, please
visit his website: www.pcacefuJwarrior.com.
,
Malcroal prol.'Oido par dcrochos de aUIO

I
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I
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For our catalog. please contact:
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Mulel iol prolc(lido por dCI ()<)Ilos de Clulor